A Wee Little Man
Did you know that Zacchaeus was short? Well, since the publication of the Bible immortalized his challenged height and created the seedbed for an often sung Bible school song, many are aware of this short man. Zacchaeus may be among the most famous short people that ever lived, ranking up there with Chandra Dangi (http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/67521-shortest-man-ever) and Napoleon (http://www.history.com/topics/napoleon).
Luke’s Biblical account of Zacchaeus describes the little man as “small in stature”. But, as with many who experience limited vertical growth, Zacchaeus was by no means small in status. This little man had made it big as a CHIEF Tax Collector. Zacchaeus had riches, and due to those riches and his position, he had influence. Zacchaeus was a powerful figure packaged in a small frame.
One day Jesus ventured into Jericho, Zacchaeus’ stomping grounds, and things got interesting in this powerful, little man’s life. So Jesus is walking down the path in town, just “passing through”, and there was a large crowd around him. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, for what purpose we are not told, but he evidently really wanted to see Him. Unfortunately, in case you didn’t know, Zacchaeus was short. The crowd obscured his view of this Jesus guy.
So Zacchaeus did what every powerful, influential person of a community would do. He climbed a tree. WHAT!? He climbs a tree, and not just any tree but Luke even specifies it as a “sycamore tree” or likely a Ficus Sycomorus. The importance of knowing the type of tree is lost on us today. However, the reason why Zacchaeus climb in that particular tree is definitely of interest. Luke says that Zacchaeus chose his tree because “he [Jesus] was about to pass that way.” That sycamore was directly in Jesus’ path, and Zacchaeus judged that if he were going to get a look at Jesus that tree was going to be the best spot for it.
So here we have an influential member of Jericho climbing a tree to get a look at Jesus. I am unsure of Zacchaeus’ age at the time, but it was unlikely that a young man would reach the status of Chief Tax Collector. Zacchaeus was probably a little advanced in age. But still here he is, up in a tree, to just get a look at Jesus, or at least that is what he thought. But think about this - did Zacchaeus climbing that tree serve another purpose?
Could it have been that it was not Zacchaeus trying to see Jesus that caused this unusual occurrence, but rather Jesus wanting to see Zacchaeus? After all, look at what Jesus says to Zacchaeus, “hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” That word must is pretty emphatic. Must implies a directive. Jesus was on a mission, and that mission was in a sycamore tree by the road in the town He was passing through. Jesus needed to visit a tax collector’s home and stay awhile. He needed to bring an influential member of Jericho to the knowledge of God’s love for him. He also needed to poke a few religious people in the eye. He accomplished both of these objectives as Luke explains:
Those looking on “grumbled, ‘He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’” (As if there was someone around that was not a sinner.) And,
With Jesus in his home, Zacchaeus proclaimed, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” To which Jesus replied,
“Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Zacchaeus’ life was changed completely. Jesus did not change his height. He did not change Zacchaeus’ position. But that stay Jesus made at his house changed Zacchaeus’ view of life forever. I do not know what you are looking for today. I am not sure what you think you will find when you see Jesus. I think it’s safe to say that Zacchaeus did not think his day would go the way it did. In fact, one might wonder whether he would have climbed that tree if he had known it would end with the revolution that happened in his life. But God honors those who seek Him, who will climb trees and do what may seem foolish to the world to just get a chance to see Him. Salvation comes when we little men seek out a God who is seeking out us.
Luke 19:1-10