Day 25 — Zacchaeus Climbs a Tree

“When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.’”

— Luke 19:5 (BSB)

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

— Luke 19:10 (BSB)

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in the city of Jericho. He worked for the Romans, the foreign rulers that the Jewish people hated. And like many tax collectors, he cheated people, charging extra and keeping the money for himself. He was very rich, and very unpopular.

One day, Jesus came through Jericho. Crowds lined the streets. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but there was a problem: he was short, and no one was going to let the town cheater squeeze to the front.

So Zacchaeus did something undignified for a rich man. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree!

When Jesus reached that spot, He stopped and looked up. Of all the people in that crowd, Jesus spoke to him. “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.”

Jesus knew his name! And out of everyone in town, Jesus chose to go to the house of the most disliked man there.

The crowd grumbled: “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!” But Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Jesus joyfully.

Something happened to Zacchaeus that day. Being with Jesus changed him. He stood up and said, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” Nobody told him to do that. When Jesus came into his heart, his greedy heart became a generous heart.

Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Then He explained why He came to earth: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

That’s the whole reason Jesus came. Not for people who have it all together, but for the lost. For cheaters and liars and people everyone else has given up on. For people like Zacchaeus, and for people like you and me.

Nobody is too far gone for Jesus. He knows your name, and He wants to come to your house today.

Think about it: Why do you think Jesus chose to go to Zacchaeus’s house when everyone else disliked him?

Try this: Zacchaeus made things right with people he had hurt. Is there anything you need to make right with someone? Do it this week.

Dear Jesus, thank You that You came to seek and to save the lost. Thank You that You know my name and want to be with me. Change my heart like You changed Zacchaeus’s heart. Help me make things right with people I have hurt. In Your name, Amen.