JESUS AND ZACCHAEUS

Reading from Luke Ch. 19 vs 1-10

Growing up I was given a t-shirt that I loved so much and on it was written “attitude is everything”, when I read this passage it makes me think of it. I think this is one of my favourite bible passages because it just reminds me of the kind of power or influence of Christ and his love and kindness. Jesus was famous in his time, yeah maybe not everyone liked him but they knew of him. When he went into a town or village there was uproar, they heard about what he could do and they either wanted an encounter or to watch him do the miracles and signs. In this passage Jesus enters Jericho and the usual happens, a crowd surrounds him and follows him wherever he goes. Amidst all of this was the man named Zacchaeus, he was a rich tax collector and you already know from the scriptures these were not people liked by the general public.

Now this Zacchaeus like most of the people wanted to see Jesus and who he was but he was a short man. If you know anything about crowds, if you’re not close to whatever everyone wants to see you better be tall enough to see above them, so you can imagine the mans situation. Even if he did want to push through to see he’d most likely get shunned because of who he was. I thought about how sometimes we are curious about things but often we can’t access them or there are just things in the way of us reaching or knowing those things. It’s in such situations that you’ll see how bad you actually want it or are curious about it. Will you give up in the face of obstacles or will you find a way and my man Zacchaeus thought of a way. He ran ahead of the crowd in the direction he knew they would pass by and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. I think of the desire for God that he had, there was no ounce of shame or overthought about what others would think of him, he wanted Jesus and he went full force for him. If you’re searching and are curious, give it all you’ve got, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When Jesus reached the place where the tree was he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today”. I smile right here and wonder if Jesus saw him run and climb up to see him, and just how Jesus really saw him. He knew him, think of Zacchaeus trying so hard to see who Jesus was and Jesus get to him and calls him by name. I can only imagine what that must have felt like, Tax collectors were rejected individuals, often alone even though they had everything. To be in a place where you just yearn, that younoe maybe with him it will be different and go after Jesus is a big thing. I do hope all of us know that God sees us and our desires and our wanting to know him. I know Zacchaeus was filled with joy because even I would be filled with joy considering what it took for him to actually see Jesus. And the word confirms it and says he hurried and received Jesus joyfully, he must have felt so good and it just encourages me. God is very attentive, he was surrounded by this crowd and yet he could see whose heart was really after him, God knows everything about you, he hasn’t forgotten or missed something, just wait and see when he answers.

Now understanding who Zacchaeus was, when Jesus said what he did and Zacchaeus responded how he did the crowd grumbled and said, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner”. Isn’t it funny how it is us who judge so harshly and Jesus loves? This situation is one that also happens today and it exposes the misunderstanding of who God is, Jesus came to set the record straight both then and now. God is loving, he hates sin but he loves us sinners, like then there seems to be this illusion that God can’t meet the sinner or that he hates the sinner and I love how Jesus openly defies that understanding. He literally invites himself over to Zacchaeus’ house and they can’t believe it, the sinners’ house? And I do hope we aren’t like this, we all have sinned or sin every day, there’s no one bigger sin and so we should not condemn one another. Yes we should correct one another but please don’t be the reason someone can’t come and meet with God. People are curious, maybe they were misled or maybe they’ve just walked in sin but there’s no one who is too far gone, as long as they are alive they can be saved and we should help any of them come to Jesus.

Another thing I love about this passage is how easy it went, Jesus went over to his house and Zacchaeus just feeling that love, acceptance and affection or that God saw him really created a change or transformation in him. No one did ask him but he just began to tell Jesus like I’m going to take half of my goods and give to the poor and if I’ve ever defrauded anyone I’ll return it fourfold. I thought of him seeing what Jesus’ mission and ministry was, he was touched by Jesus and he wanted to be part of it and the change in the ways he thought or knew to do. It’s really just a testimony of how when you truly encounter or walk with Jesus you’ll begin or want to change, you see how and what his done for you and you respond. You want to serve and love like him and that’s the lovely thing about Jesus. He like rubs off on you, you see and get to know him and it just challenges you to be better, it’s not something you force, its genuine and I’m seeing it my life. At first I was hesitant but the more I know him it just feels off to stay how I’ve always been, yeah its gradual but I see the transformation and renewing of my mind and I hope you get to see it too.

One more thing I love about this passage is how Jesus responded to Zacchaeus, he saw him and his attitude and he just poured back. From him saying his name to inviting himself over. And lastly what he says, that salvation had come to his house since he also is a son of Abraham and how he came to seek and save the lost. The way he phrased it was in a way that felt like he was saying like he deserves it too. I think it was in a way a response to what the other people said, they labelled him a sinner and like it was such a bad thing for Jesus to be visiting him. But he too was a Jew and a son of Abraham and he was saved through the encounter and Jesus was basically just looking at all of this and saying this is what I came here for.

How nice it is for God to look at our situations, changes and how we respond and being like this is what it’s about. It’s like a cool reminder and declaration that he came to seek and save the lost, those rejected or those who seem like the outcasts like Zacchaeus. Jesus came for the lost, yes he loves all of us who are in him already but he wants the lost, the ones still sinning, the ones who don’t know the truth, the ones deceived, he wants everyone no matter what they’ve done or are currently doing. He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. So as we help serve him, may we share this good news and the love of Jesus so that even just one more person can meet and be saved by him. Remember Jesus loves you always!