Zacchaeus in the Sycamore by James Tissot
LUKE 19: 1-10 “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
Focus – Verses 7 – 10
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus is forgiving and merciful. The extent of his mercy is hard for us to truly comprehend. Verse 10 here tells us that he actually came looking for those who are lost! We wouldn’t naturally try to seek out people who are lost and offer them love. Frankly, it sounds like a lot of effort and often, we are too focused on our own issues. In this passage, the people are judging Jesus for going to a sinner’s house. However, Jesus fully embraces Zacchaeus in his weaknesses and failings. This is a profound reminder that even if we are trapped in sin, even if others judge us and deem us unworthy, God sees us differently. He not only forgives you but comes looking for you to forgive you!
Dear LORD, thank you for being so merciful that you come to find us when we are lost. Help us to see others in the loving way that you see us. Amen.