A man was there by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
(verses 2-4)
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I’ve lived with Zaccheus all my life. Ever since singing of him as “a wee little man” in Sunday School I’ve known him, visualizing his plight, blocked by the crowd’s bigger, taller bodies. I’ve watched him scramble up that tree and perch on a branch among the leaves, supposedly hidden, but with a clear view down.
Later, I came to know how hated he would have been, being a collaborator with the conquering Romans, the chief tax collector in the district, using power and position to rip-off his fellow Jews as all tax-collectors did, making himself wealthy in the process.
Today, I’m struck afresh by the straight-forward, all-knowing, purposefulness of Jesus as he stops at the base of the sycamore,looks up, calls Zaccheus by name, and invites him down, into relationship. Jesus goes straight to the foulest player in the crowd and makes connection.
No wonder the crowds mutter. It’s not just the uptight, hypocritical Pharisees – it’s everyone.
But Jesus’ embrace immediately draws repentant response from the “sinner.” He pledges half his possessions for the poor and abundant restitution for any he might possibly have cheated, which probably included most everyone in the crowd!
And then, in the privileged ears of this sinner, and all the other sinners listening in, Jesus makes one of his key declarations of purpose and calling: “the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
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O Lord, thank you that you have known me all my life, and eons before. Thank you that you have called me out of my hiding place into face-to-face fellowship with you. Thank you that when I find myself again out on a limb, perched in disconnected self-centreded distance from your purposes, you catch my eye, inviting me to come down, to enter in, to be caught up once more in full relationship with you. Thank you that when you came to seek and to save, you had even me in your sights.
I choose again to open the door wide to my house. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
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Reflect:
Are you sitting disconnected and hidden from the Lord at any point today? If so, name it (as did Zaccheus), come down, and enter back into full fellowship with him.
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Photo by Lucas Lenzi on Unsplash
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