Luke 18:15-19:48
Devotion by Paula Kirkpatrick (Minnesota)
What do you think, when you hear the name Zacchaeus? Short man, tax -gather, tree-climber. All correct. But there’s more to think and learn about this man, as we consider his conversion in Luke 19:1-10.
The Bible tells us that Zacchaeus was rich. This reality seemed to be common among tax-gathers in Jesus’ day, mainly because they consistently cheated people as they collected taxes. Tax collectors were not only scorned by the Jewish people, but they were often shunned by them as well.
Would you want to socialize with someone who claimed you owed more money to the government than you actually did, and kept your “stolen” funds for himself? Of course not!
We can only imagine that Zacchaeus, despite his riches, felt the sting of rejection. Besides his poor reputation as a “thief” to the masses, the Bible tells us he was short in stature. His presence may not have been authoritative. He was small in height, and a “small” man in his business dealings.
But Zacchaeus was also curious. The Bible says, “he was trying to see who Jesus was.”
A multitude was passing through Jericho, following this stranger. “Who was he?” Zacchaeus wondered.
Running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree for a better view. And to his utter disbelief, Jesus looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
Zacchaeus’ world was turned upside down, and instantly changed. Hurriedly, he descended from the tree and welcomed Jesus into his home. Onlookers reacted with disapproval, grumbling that Jesus “has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus’ transformation was real. In response to the crowd’s condemning remarks, he stopped in his tracks and declared, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.”
No longer was he a short, scorned tax-gather of Jericho. Zacchaeus was a fresh follower of the Son of Man.
“Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’” (Luke 19:9,10)
In Sunday’s reading, the rich young ruler could not commit his entire life to following Jesus. (Matt. 19:16-30) How could he give up his lifestyle, his riches? Sadly, he turned away from Jesus to go back to his opulent life.
In contrast, Zacchaeus eagerly declared his charitable intentions to the listening crowd, with no prompting from Jesus. His heart was forever changed.
What is it concerning the account of Zacchaeus that touches us so deeply? Perhaps, it is that he never expected to be discovered in the sycamore tree that day. He just wanted to see what all the commotion was about on the streets of Jericho. Never could he have predicted that the man he was trying to see, would see HIM, would TRULY SEE HIM. Zacchaeus, once a cheating tax collector, was now a follower of Jesus.
So many people in our world, in our daily personal world, need to be “seen” by us. They are discouraged and depressed, hurting and hopeless. They need a friend. Jesus is waiting to be their friend. He just needs an introduction. Will you be the one to make it for him?
Reflection Questions
- Have you ever felt “invisible” in your life or relationships? Why?
- Why do you think Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus? Did he feel, even with his riches, something was missing in his life?
- Think about someone who needs to be “seen” by Jesus this week. What can you do?
Seek Grow Love 