Zacchaeus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
Luke 19:3 – 7 (NASB1995)
I remember in my past when I occasionally met with an individual who was hard work; the type who makes conversations awkward through what they say. They attended church sporadically and often spoke critically of things. Those who knew them tended to avoid them if possible and did not have many kind words about them with others. I found myself being convicted by the Word of God for following the crowd regarding this particular person; I was not doing what Jesus would do (WWJD?).
The story of Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector from Jericho, is a classic case that applies here. Zacchaeus didn’t have a lot going in his favour; he was the most hated of the tax collectors – the man in charge of collecting taxes for the Roman authorities. You also find in the text that he was not a nice guy either, defrauding folk at every opportunity. To say that people hated him is probably an understatement of the facts; yet in our text today, Zacchaeus finds a friend – Jesus Christ! This is not an isolated incident; Jesus had a reputation for befriending the friendless in society, often the most despised and rejected. The reason for Jesus doing this can be found in His words: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
(Luke 19:9-10).
Dear Reader, our Lord and Saviour came to seek and save sinners – He did not come to seek the religious, good, or nice folk. Very often, those who need saving are the most unlovely in society – they can be hard work. Those whom society rejects are who Jesus seeks and accepts. Who do we know who is hard work? Why not show them some love, following the example of Jesus with Zacchaeus?
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures
