“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”
Luke 19:5-6 NKJV
Zacchaeus, a rich man and the chief tax collector, is the central figure in one of the most catchy children’s church songs to survive the ages, at least among Baptists … “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…”
A sense of desperation and need inspired him to climb the tree that day. And, I imagine as he struggled to make his way up the tree, he had no idea what to expect or even what he would see. Then it happened – Yeshua – the One people were talking about, the One Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see – saw him and called him by name. Zacchaeus who was once hidden due to his physical limitations was SEEN by Yeshua. And – Yeshua knew his name!! Zacchaeus immediately responded with great joy and received Him.
I wonder how desperate I really am at the end of the day. Have I been pushed to the point of climbing the proverbial tree in my life – will I, do I, do what ever it takes to position myself, like Zacchaeus did, so I can see Him above the crowd – and above the noise? I know I have at times – but is it ongoing? Is that what a lifestyle of worship looks like? Doing whatever it takes to position ourselves daily to encounter Him? And, when I do catch His eye and He calls to me by name, do I quickly and hastily respond to Him? Do I joyfully receive Him? I hope so. I want to. I aim to.
The story of Zacchaeus is a good reminder to me that Yeshua is always present – I just may need to climb up to and out of the place I’m in, so I am positioned to see Him and catch His eye. Worry, stress, and the “busy-ness” of life obscure my view far too much. So like Zacchaeus, I will run ahead and climb up, confident that He will pass my way again.
Father – thank You for Your kindness to speak to me again and again. You are good and You keep doing good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Daily Reading: Luke 18:15-19:48
November 2, 2022