Meghan Kazmann

Luke 19:1-10 NIV

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Reflection: 

The story of Zacchaeus brings back memories of my childhood. Memories of vacation Bible school at my hometown church and even my own kids’ voices singing “Zacchaeus was a wee little man..” come flooding back. I always envisioned a small, sinful man desperately climbing up a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus among the crowd. The End. 

Now as a mom, I wonder about Zacchaeus’s childhood. What was his story? Was he bullied or neglected  Was he made fun of because he was small? Was he lonely? Small and unnoticed, unseen and unheard. He was not the type of boy who would grow up to be somebody. One day, the Romans come knocking and promise him wealth and status and he takes the bait to satisfy whatever emptiness that fills his soul. As chief tax collector, there is little doubt Zacchaeus was guilty of greed, corruption, and extortion. He had become a rich, powerful man at the expense of his Jewish brothers and sisters. Seen at last! 

As told in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals a blind man (commonly assumed to be Bartimaeus) on his way to Jericho. As he approaches the city, he encounters an electrified crowd who has obviously caught wind of this miraculous encounter. Everyone wants to see Jesus, talk to Jesus, touch Jesus! I imagine a frantic Zacchaeus scurrying up a tree to catch a glimpse of this Miracle Man. He must have felt so anxious and desperate as he climbed up that tree. I wonder what made him so eager? I wonder if even with all the wealth and power he still felt joyless and empty inside. The crowd asserts that Jesus shouldn’t waste his time on such a scumbag.

We all know what happens next.

 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today.”  Luke 19: 5

Hmmmm. Luke never mentioned Zacchaeus introducing himself to Jesus. Jesus already knows who he is.  He seeks out this outcast by name. Jesus does not judge based on reputation or appearance but seeks out each one of us by name. Zacchaeus is suddenly filled with generosity and repentance. It wasn’t wealth or fame or power that filled Zacchaeus’s soul, but the unprovoked mercy of God. As it turns out, it wasn’t only Zacchaeus who was so desperately seeking Jesus, but Jesus was ultimately seeking him.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

In the Kingdom of God, salvation comes to us wherever we are in life. Jesus knows who we are and calls us by name. Jesus knows what we spend our days doing and loves us anyway. We are not judged by our sinful acts or reputation but forgiven because he loved us first. 

Prayer:

Merciful God, Thank you for your boundless love and salvation. Thank you for seeking me too. I love you! Please forgive me of my sins and fill me with your grace.  May the way I live be a reflection of my love for you.  Amen.