WE ALL ENCOUNTERED JESUS IN OUR OWN SYCAMORE TREE

We are familiar with the story of Zacchaeus.

Being a tax collector was a controversial profession at that time. They were often seen as wicked and brutal traitors of their fellow Jews, because their riches usually came from bribery, corruption, and abuse. They worked for Rome—the very enemy of Israel who had conquered them. And Zacchaeus was more than an ordinary tax collector. He was their boss (Luke 19:2). This means he dictated how much tax would be collected and managed others like him. If people already hated tax collectors, they most likely hated their leader twice as much! If Zacchaeus were alive today, he would probably be involved in flood control issues as well! Not only did he have a questionable background and a notorious reputation, but he also had a physical imperfection. He was short (v. 3). If you think about it, it seems like this man had every possible flaw in the world!

If you were living in Zacchaeus’ time, you would most likely dislike him as well. Not only did he have a bad reputation, he also had an awful attitude—and he was short on top of that. He deserves to be hated. To be criticized. To be considered an outcast.

But the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (v. 10).

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’” (v. 5). It was not by chance that Jesus and Zacchaeus met. Christ initiated the encounter. He intentionally went to the person everyone hated. Jesus Himself invited the tax collector into his own home for fellowship.

In front of many people, Christ spoke to a man up in a tree. If only Zacchaeus had known that he was actually the one Christ was after, maybe he would not have bothered climbing up! This scene is both embarrassing and amusing when you think about it. He probably climbed the tree simply because he wanted to see Christ without being noticed by others. The leaves of the sycamore could cover him and make him unseen. But Christ made this a spectacle—a clear message for everyone. Who would have thought that he was the very person Jesus wanted to meet? Even the people wondered (v. 7).

The Son of Man came to seek and save Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus could have made excuses not to come down. He could have said that he was already too far gone and too lost to be reached. He might have thought he was too busy to obey. Or perhaps he believed he already had too many possessions and no longer needed Christ. Yet, “he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” (v. 6).

An encounter with Jesus changed his life. Half of his possessions would be given to the poor, and the remaining half would be used to compensate those he had cheated (v. 8). He said he would repay four times those he had scammed, according to the instruction in the Law of Moses (see Exod 22:1). What he planned to do would surely cost him greatly. But for him, nothing could compare to what he had received when he came to know Christ.

Before Zacchaeus did anything he planned to do, Christ had already affirmed his salvation: “Today salvation has come to this house,” (v. 9). He did not only receive salvation when he accepted Christ’s invitation. He also received acceptance: “this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” This tax collector had probably grown used to being treated as a traitor, an outcast, unworthy of being called a Jew or a descendant of Abraham. But for Christ, his response of faith was enough to call him a son of Abraham, who is known as the father of faith—something He withheld from the Jews who did not accept His message (see John 8:33–44).

Zacchaeus’ story is also our story.
We also encountered Jesus in our own sycamore tree.

The unplanned moment. The least expected situation. In a time we did not expect, He also called us to come down and follow Him. As believers, we responded positively to His invitation, just like the tax collector did.

Zacchaeus’ story is also our story.
We also encountered the loving Savior in our own sycamore tree.

The unworthy. The outcast. The hated. The lost. The Son of Man came to seek and save all of them. He came to reach everyone! “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” (1 Tim 1:15). Stay Curious.