Encounters with Jesus - Pt 14

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. (Luke 19:1-6 ESV).

Our next encounter is with another tax collector, Zacchaeus. Jesus was always controversial. People had great difficulty understanding his compassion and love for people they hated and rejected. The religious leaders were not accustomed to being called into question for their beliefs and authority. Yet, Jesus did question them with a man who spoke with authority and understanding of the Scripture. It was a question on the lips of many: who is this man? Who is this man doing all these mighty miracles? Who is this man who teaches with authority? Who is this man who is not afraid to confront and contradict the religious leaders? Who is this Jesus? For a long time this question had pounded on the heart and mind of a most unlikely person. In the town of Jericho a hated, rich, thieving tax-collector had heard the rumors and reports about Jesus and in his heart had grown a desire to find out more about him, to find out who Jesus is. Then Jesus came to Jericho, and invited himself to Zacchaeus' house. Welcoming him gladly, Zacchaeus took Jesus home, and there he found the answer to his questions. Acknowledging Jesus as the Lord, he expressed the integrity of his new faith by recognizing also the wrongness of his lifestyle and spontaneously stating his intention to make restitution for what he had stolen and to give half of his possessions to the poor. In stark contrast to the rich ruler who sought eternal life for himself but did not choose to submit to Jesus as Lord, Zacchaeus sought Jesus Christ, and in finding and acknowledging Jesus Christ also gained eternal life. At the beginning of the record of this encounter we have Zacchaeus seeking to find out who is Jesus. At the end we have Jesus expressing his purpose to seek and to save the lost. This encounter is a beautiful cameo, a picture in which the human heart seeking God and the God seeking to save human hearts come together. I hope you have put yourself in that picture. Our quest for more of Jesus and less of ourselves often begins with the simplest of activities. Maybe you just need to climb a tree! Or, more likely, you may just need to pray for His presence to enter your heart!