Get out of that Tree

Zacchaeus was the little guy who climbed up the sycamore tree to see Jesus pass by. But Jesus didn’t pass by. He stopped in His tracks, looked up into the tree, called his name and told him to ‘Come down’ as He was coming to his house that day. A sermon on Zacchaeus can be found here.

Zacchaeus is a fascinating character. His name means "pure," yet the Bible tells us he was anything but. He was a chief tax collector in Jericho, the city where the walls had fallen down. Jesus was passing through the city on His way to Jerusalem. Zacchaeus was hated by the Jews not so much because he was a tax collector but because he had intimate contact with Gentiles.

Jesus told Zacchaeus to hurry down out of the tree: Jesus was going to spend the day at his house. Jesus was spending more and more time with people who were "undesirable" and He explained His reasons for associating with them; the Son of Man had come to seek and to save those who were lost.

Jesus cared about Zacchaeus just as He cared about everyone, no matter their profession. Zacchaeus was truly a changed man after he met Jesus. He repented of all the wrong things he had done. He understood what Jesus said about "turning around" and following in His ways. He promised Jesus that he would pay back the people from whom he had taken too much in taxes according to the laws of Moses -- fourfold.

Jesus told Zacchaeus that his faith had caused him to be counted among God's people. Anyone, in fact, who comes to Jesus in faith and believes in Him is saved by his or her faith. If Zacchaeus had a chance, so do we!

Prayer: Lord, it is good to know that whoever we are and whatever we have done, You still come seeking after us. You always offer us the chance to make amends and start over again. May we welcome Your love into our daily routines this week. Amen.