Out on a Limb: The Highs and Lows of Zacchaeus
David Jeremiah
Here's a short story about a short man-short on friends, joy, and fulfillment. It's also about another person, One who towers over time and history. Each man had a rendezvous with the other, and they both had a life-altering appointment with a tree.
The short man, Zacchaeus of Jericho, was a scoundrel who climbed a tree and, in so doing, found eternal life. The other man, Jesus of Nazareth, was a Savior who was nailed to the tree of Calvary and, in so doing, saved Zacchaeus from sin, death, and hell.
Zacchaeus wasn't about to miss the excitement of a spontaneous parade as Jesus came to Jericho. So he scrambled up a tree to see the procession. Suddenly Jesus stopped right under him, looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
That moment changed his life. Have you had such a moment? Jesus knows your name, too. He knows where you are and He cares for you. He wants to come into your life and invade your home. His "standard operating procedure" is to seek us out.
His Lows
He was the chief revenue officer for that district, and any Jew who worked for the Romans in extracting taxes from his fellow Hebrews was disdained. He was also dishonest, defrauding the people and pocketing the profits himself.
But perhaps Zacchaeus felt cheated, too. We get the idea from Luke 19 that he was fed up with the way his life was going.
A. W. Tozer said: "The average person in the world today, without faith and without God and without hope, is engaged in a desperate personal search throughout his lifetime."
His Highs
When Jesus came by, He called Zacchaeus down. Luke says Zacchaeus hurried down and threw a dinner bash for Jesus. The very worst people of Jericho came-just the ones Jesus wanted to reach. During the party, Zacchaeus made a speech: "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold" (Luke 19:8).
"Today salvation has come to this house . . ." Jesus said, "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (verses 9-10).
Zacchaeus realized he had a lot of be thankful for. His desperation turned to exaltation, and his sullied life became a testimony of grace. From a low point, he had risen high, on the wings of grace.
Consider these high points: Despite his wealth, Zacchaeus felt a hungry yearning for Jesus. Zacchaeus sensed there was something about this charismatic Galilean that could fill the God-shaped void in his heart.
Notice his haste and happiness in finding Jesus. Luke 19:6 says, "So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully." For Zacchaeus, a very dark room was finally flooded with light. It's like that when we find Jesus. Light and joy come into our lives.
Notice Zacchaeus' hospitality and home. The Lord went home with him, saying, "Today salvation has come to this house." When we joyfully receive Christ as Savior, it touches our family and affects our home.
Then there was Zacchaeus' new-found honesty. To everyone's surprise, he agreed to make restitution to those he had cheated and give half his money to the poor. When Jesus comes into our lives, it changes our ethics.
Finally, notice his hope. From that day, Zacchaeus was a changed man with a new future and an eternal promise. According to Christian tradition, he later entered the ministry and used his considerable skills as Bishop of Caesarea.
Have you met Christ? Is your life a testimony to your salvation? Are you willing to see the spiritual worth of those whom others disdain and despise? Are you willing to make restitution to those you've defrauded? Are you willing to use your home and influence to bring others to Christ?
Sometimes there's no better place to be than out on a limb.
That's often where Jesus finds us.
This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's devotional magazine.
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