Zacchaeus, Friend of Jesus
Unbeknownst to either Paula or Von the Lord was using a wee little man to teach us deep lessons at the same time. He does direct the writing of this daily devotional by 7 different writers who rarely discuss what they are writing! This is His! We are but tools in His hands.
Luke 19:1-10 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham.10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbxvc6eeXso
People Need the Lord by Steve Green
My sweet granddaughters are both incredibly smart. The typical Sunday School lesson does not satisfy them.They want some depth. They want some “meat.” They want to hear the Bible story for “grown-ups,” not the flannel board version with the simple characters and super simplified lesson. So here goes: Zacchaeus for grownups.
James Tissot [Public domain]
Zacchaeus the tax collector
Zacchaeus is like Matthew. He is a Jew (a son of Abraham) of ill repute because he is a despised tax collector for the Roman occupation. A pyramid scheme of sorts because one tax collector must collect taxes but out of the taxes he collects he must keep his portion, pay his boss (the chief tax collector) who I am sure is responsible for keeping the regular tax collectors “honest,” and he must also have enough left over to actually turn over Rome’s portion of the tax from their occupied citizens. You can see the problem with this for the poor. They are working for the government and hoping to have enough left over to meet their own obligations and feed their families. We have no way to be sure, but it is possible that Zacchaeus has heard of Jesus because of Matthew’s encounter with the Rabbi.
Zacchaeus wealthy and respected
Zacchaeus is wealthy and respected among the political leaders: a couple more strikes against his character to the average Jew. However, a close reading shows Zacchaeus was short on “dignity” for he is willing to climb a tree in the middle of town just to see this Jesus who has come to the very town once leveled by the power of God as the nation of Israel simply walked around its perimeter seven times silently until at the very end of their walk they shouted and the “walls came tumbling down.” The power of God is well known here.
Zacchaeus a curious man
We read, Zacchaeus climbed the tree because he was too vertically challenged to see Jesus through the crowd. I feel this! I am vertically challenged. I sit in the front of the church so I can see. I get reserved seats at events or I stay home. I wear heels to give me a slight height advantage. But guess what, scholars disagree that it was Zacchaeus who was of short stature. Some believe it was Jesus who was lost in the crowd because others were head and shoulders above Him. Does it even matter who was the shortest? In the Jewish culture, being short was considered a disability. One could not serve in the Temple if there was any deformity-real or perceived. The fact that Zacchaeus was desperate to see Jesus is the point and his actions PROVE the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Zacchaeus a Jesus seeker
Zacchaeus was seeking Jesus with his whole heart. He did not care what anyone thought as he climbed the tree and because he did, Jesus took notice and rewarded his efforts. Suddenly, Zacchaeus name had real meaning, Yah(weh) remembers.
Zacchaeus rewarded
Zacchaeus was rewarded with Jesus company in his home. This outcast was suddenly “worthy,” if not in polite society, at least with this teacher. Zacchaeus opened his home, his wealth, his heart to Jesus. What did Jesus see? Jesus is the one who said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) So why bother? Why waste His time on this rich, dwarf of a man? The answer is really quite profound: “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7) Jesus’ life was proving the Scriptures and who He was: Son of the Living God.
Jesus saw while Zacchaeus was perched like a bird in the tree, what his heart was ready to receive. Zacchaeus exhibited true repentance through actions. His actions led to the cleansing of his own conscious. It strengthened his integrity among his fellow Jews, provided him opportunities to witness, and be a part of the spreading of the gospel. At the same time, Jesus used the life of this “sinner” to prove His mission not as conquering King, but of priest after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrew 7:1-17) People need the Lord! Friends of Jesus have hearts in search of who Jesus is and are willing to be used as examples of the grace of God.
Because Zacchaeus sought the Lord, the Lord used him in politics. He was a go between the Romans and the Jews. He is using his life still today to teach us. In the eyes of the Lord, nothing is lost, wasted, or without value.
The More I Seek You by Kari Jobe
https://www.treadingwatertiljesuscomes.com/2019/09/09/zacchaeus-a-wee-little-man/
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