Would You Climb a Tree…

My daughter sometimes calls me “mama munchkin.” I need a step stool to get clothes out of the washer.  I ask for help to retrieve items from the top shelf in the grocery store.  I recently used a kitchen spatula to knock a plastic container into reach in the dollar store.  I am vertically challenged. In a word, I am short!

Driving into the setting sun this week, squinting through my dark sunglasses, trying to stretch myself tall enough in the seat for the sun visor to block the sun, I was once again made painfully aware that I am short!

As I drove, I began laugh and think about the lyrics of a children’s song…”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.”

In Luke 19, we read the account of Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector, who was too short to see over the crowd that was following Jesus as he made his way into Jericho, so he climbed up into a sycamore-fig tree to get a good look.  

Think about that.  Zacchaeus was a rich man of importance (though not well liked), yet he humbled himself to climb a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. He was determined to do whatever it took to see Jesus. And his effort did not go unnoticed.   Jesus saw him sitting in the tree.  And he called him by his name!! 

“Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

Luke 19:5

Zacchaeus life was changed that day!

Jesus knows each of us by name.  He sees each of us individually.  He knows our shortcomings…our limitations, our imperfections…our sins.  We don’t have to climb a tree to get His attention.  He meets us where we are.  All we need to do is humble ourselves and admit we need Him. Just say His name to welcome Him into our homes.  Say His name…Jesus…and He will respond.  He is ready to come into our hearts.  He is ready to bring salvation to each of us. He is ready to bring change to our lives! He is ready to give us life…life everlasting!

^“ For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Luke 19:10

Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.

 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:1-10