Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he…remember that song? It’s been a long time since I’ve sung it or heard it sung in its entirety, but I can still remember the words. Imagine that…35+ years later, and that song is still fresh in my memory.
It’s true, you know. Zacchaeus was real. Like the Apostle Matthew, he was a wealthy tax collector, hated by those around him. He lacked for nothing. He had everything life had to offer, except one thing - height. Zacchaeus was “short of stature,” as Luke 19 tells us. He was indeed a “wee-little man.”
Grant it, for a man of his financial means, being short of stature probably wasn’t a big deal. He had everything he needed and wanted in life and more. As a matter of fact, Zacchaeus probably had the town’s people bending over backwards to please him, so they could get out of being taxed or find some relief from it. However, on the day Jesus came to town, being “short of stature” caused a major problem for Zacchaeus that all the money in the world couldn’t fix. As much as he wanted to, he just couldn’t stretch high enough or stand up straight enough to see over the crowds and catch a glimpse of the Savior.
Scripture says that Zacchaeus “sought to see who Jesus was.” He was desperate – so desperate that he literally ran ahead of the Messiah and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him. Something inside Zacchaeus evidently yearned for Christ…to meet Him…to be near Him…to see Him. Can you imagine the elation he felt when Jesus stopped, looked up into the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Scripture says that Zacchaeus responded by doing exactly what Jesus told him to do. He shimmied down that tree and “received Him joyfully.”
We could all learn a lesson from Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus, as well as his obedience to the call of Christ, but the last part of the story is what gets me the most. After Zacchaeus climbed down out of the tree, he told Jesus that he was going to give half of everything he owned to the poor and restore four times the amount of what he had stolen from the people. After hearing this, Jesus said, “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.”
What an awesome statement! Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. That’s me! I was lost, and He came and found me. I was just like a little girl, wandering lost in a huge department store, unable to see over the clothes racks and find a way out. I was scared, fearful, and mistrusting of everyone around me - horrified that someone might come and take me away. My situation was hopeless. I was undeniably, undoubtedly lost. Until…at the end of the isle, Christ appeared. He called me to Himself, and I ran in desperation to meet Him. Jesus could have just stood at the front of the store and called my name, but He didn’t. Instead, He sought me. He found me. He saved me. How precious…how very much like God.
Jesus, thank You for coming to seek and to save me. May I never get so far removed from You or Your Word that I forget what You did for me…how You found me and drew me to Yourself…not because of anything I had done, but just because it was Your desire to seek and to save that which was lost. Thank You, Jesus.
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