My Daily Pause

Zacchaeus (Kristus og Zakæus) – 1913 – Niels Larsen Stevns 1864-1941

Jesus will look straight at you.

Just when you think he isn’t paying attention…
…that he will never have time for you…
…that you have gone too far…

…he will be there for you.

Unexpected Pleasure

Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He was very rich. He was likely very dignified. He was certainly very hated. (Luke 19:1-10)

He probably went his whole career believing that he would not benefit from the Messiah’s coming. The Pharisees had specifically excluded the publicans from association with them – so that was that.

Then, why would Zacchaeus go out of his way to see Jesus?

Maybe he heard about the publican named Matthew that was traveling with Jesus. Maybe the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector had made its way to him. (Luke 18:9-14)

Whatever it was, it caused him to seek Jesus.

Zacchaeus did exactly what Jesus taught us to do: Ask. Seek. Knock. (Matthew 7:7-12) Not only does he teach us to do that, but he means for us to keep doing it. The language in those verses is more like “keep on asking, seeking, and knocking”  – Even when the outcomes doesn’t look promising.

Climbing into that sycamore tree wasn’t very dignified. It might have been rather comical seeing that short man in business clothes scramble up a tree.

But it was the right attitude.

And Jesus saw him.

Expected Pleasure

Luke ends the account with Jesus saying, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Just like Zacchaeus, we are not doomed unless we doom ourselves. Like Zacchaeus, we are only lost until we can be united with Christ.

And like Zacchaeus, that will happen when we take action to seek him and follow him and obey him.

If you feel like a Zacchaeus, go out of your way to find him today!