The Wee Little Man Who Climbed a Tree

 

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. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.” (Luke 19:1-9 ESV).

 

Almost everyone has heard the children’s Bible song describing the events of our reading today. The first stanza is: “Zaccheus was a wee, little man, and a wee, little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, For the Lord he wanted to see.” It is a great story. On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho. There a tax collector, who had often cheated his own people out of tax money for the oppressive Roman Empire, climbed a tree to see Jesus. God’s Spirit must have been working mightily in Zacchaeus’s heart to make him run and risk embarrassment by scrambling up a tree.

 

Noticing him, Jesus summoned Zacchaeus. And the short swindler came at once. Then Jesus announced that he would visit with this man at his home, a gesture of being on friendly terms. The people in the crowd muttered. Without knowing all that was said, we hear Zacchaeus respond to Jesus by acknowledging him as Lord, giving away half of his possessions, and making restitution to anyone he had cheated. Zacchaeus’s life was changed! Salvation had come to his house!

 

Lost sinners become sons and daughters of the King. Cheaters and prostitutes, crooked bankers and unfaithful spouses—Jesus came to find them all. He has to be with them. That’s why he came. When the grace of God comes to us changes take place. Cheating stops, lying ends, relationships are restored, and the poor are cared for. Jesus came to save those who are lost. Welcome Him in your life!