where Jesus meets another rich man... Zacchaeus... who was sitting in a Sycamore, or Wild Fig, tree... !!?
Can you believe a rich man today climbing into a tree to see Jesus? I am sure if we knew Jesus was physically here and it was the only way to catch a glimpse of Him many of us, rich or poor, would do just that...
We know quite a lot about this man Zacchaeus... we know that he was short, rich, desperate to see Jesus and he was the head of all the tax collectors. In to-day's language he was the person nationally in charge of SARS (in South African terms) or National Inland Revenue - so, also an important man, with high financial qualifications... a prestigious person with status, and a lot of friends...we also know that he lived in Jericho and that, although he was rich, he was not a haughty person...and he was hated by the Jews.
"... Now behold, there was a man named Zaccheus who was a chief tax
collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but
could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran
ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him..." Luke 19:2-4
When Jesus saw him, He saw much more than anybody else. He not only knew that Zacchaeus was in the sycamore tree waiting to see Him, but again, having looked through to the core of this man, He knew that although Zacchaeus was a crook, and someone who was despised by the Jews, and that because of his crookedness, he was a sinner and lost, Jesus also saw and knew that he had a yearning to be loved and accepted and was ready to meet Jesus and to accept Him as his Saviour and Lord.
And so Jesus said to him:
..."Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your
house." Luke 19:5
Zacchaeus was so full of joy that Jesus, whom he probably deemed as no more than a prophet at the time, was prepared to meet and eat with him in his house, that he immediately undertook to not only give back what he has stolen but to give half of all that he owned to the poor.... Isn't it amazing when we compare the rich young man in the previous devotion, to this rich man, that the one Jesus loved immediately because he was a righteous man, according to the law of the then church, sadly turned away, whilst the rich man who everyone knew was a crook and a liar, was prepared to turn to and follow Jesus?
"Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my
goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusa-
tion, I restore it fourfold." " Luke 19:8
What happened to this man?
"And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he
also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save
that which was lost." Luke 19:9-10
He was lost; yet he was prepared to accept Jesus's invitation. He had a change of heart, of attitude, of direction. He made a distinct decision to do that which is good and to follow Jesus. He repented, but not only repented, he also changed his ways!
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5: 17
Thank You, Lord, that it is your desire to reconcile us to You. Thank You that you are prepared to seek and to save those who are lost. Help us to admit when we are lost, and to accept Your invitation to reconciliation to God.
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