As I end this series on devotions through the alphabet, I thought Zacchaeus would be a good one with which to end.
We probably remember hearing the song about Zacchaeus and how he was a “wee little man”. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior walked that way He looked up in the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, you come down for I’m going to your house today.” [Now you have that little jingle in your head all day! :)]
It was a song with a few lines and the account of Zacchaeus is truly summed up in the book of Luke in just a few verses. Jesus was coming through Jericho and Zacchaeus wanted to see him but he was so short he knew he couldn’t see over the crowd. So he found a tree and climbed his way up so he could get a quick glimpse of the one everybody was talking about.
Zacchaeus was not a very good person in a lot of people’s eyes. He was a wealthy tax collector because he had cheated a lot of people out of money. I believe he was being convicted and wanted to see this man who could forgive him for what he had done because he knew the people were judging him for his sinful acts.
Our world is full of judgment today. If we hear IRS we tend the think the same way people looked at Zacchaeus. If we see people who aren’t like us we tend to judge. But Jesus wanted to talk to Zacchaeus. He wanted to eat with him and tell him how he could be saved from his sins.
Jesus does that today. He still loves every one of us no matter who we have cheated or wronged or what destructive path we have taken. He loves us all and wants to take us out of this sinful crowd and have dinner with us and talk to us about His father and how to spend eternity with Him in a beautiful place.
But the story doesn’t end there. Zacchaeus repented to the Lord for what he did wrong. He admitted to cheating people out of money and set out to make things right by paying them back AND giving half of his wealth to the poor. He wanted forgiveness for his sin and wanted to change his ways and live for eternity in heaven.
Let’s take a good look at ourselves today. We may think we are small and hiding among the crowd and Jesus doesn’t see us or what we do wrong. But He does. He sees us among the crowd and is reaching up inviting us to eat with Him. He is ready to forgive us for what we are doing wrong. But the key for us is that we have to admit it, repent and change to live a life for Christ and not continue with that sin just like Zacchaeus.
Won’t you come down out of that tree and meet with Jesus today? He’s on His way to your house. As a matter of fact, I think He’s knocking on the door right now. Let’s answer His call and have Him help us get back on the track to eternity in heaven.
See. Repent. Change for Christ. Just “wee” little words chalked full of “big” meaning.
