And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was of small stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. Luke 19:3-4 (ESV)

The Little Man That Did

The story of Zacchaeus has always been a favorite of mine. He was a Chief Tax Collector for Rome and had made himself very rich by taking from the populace more than Rome demanded. Not only were tax collectors loathed because of their extortion of their countrymen but also because they had betrayed Israel by collaborating with the Roman oppressors. They were alienated by the people, living what must have been lives of scorn and lonliness.

On this day Jesus was passing through Jericho. The fame of this itinerant rabbi had apparently reached Zacchaeus. Out of curiosity he went out to see him but he was small in height and couldn't see over the crowd. Not to be defeated in purpose he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree putting him above the throngs of people along the road.

One of the reasons this account resonates with me is the response of Jesus when He saw Zacchaeus. Looking up He called him by name saying “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today” (vs 5). One can almost see the smile on Jesus' face and hear the mirth and merriment in His voice. Zacchaeus climbed down and joyfully received Jesus.

The story of Zacchaeus ends gloriously. This very rich man said he would give half of his goods to the poor and restore fourfold to anyone he had defrauded, which had probably been many. He climbed up into a tree to see Jesus and found the Kingdom of God even prompting the LORD Jesus to joyfully exclaim “Today salvation has come to this house.”

There is so much that can be spiritually gleaned from these verses. As you meditate on them I'm sure many will come to mind. You never know the impact your words, life, and love, can have on others. Some plant seeds, others water and God makes it grow (1^st Corinthians 3:8). Perhaps many people had done just that for Zacchaeus, planting seeds that resulted in salvation for him and his house.  

Your testimony may be seeds planted in a heart that causes a searcher to climb into their own tree of investigation of the Gospel and finding the Kingdom Of God. It happened to a despised tax collector and it can happen to that particular person you have been praying for for such a long time. Zacchaeus was a man that had been written off by society but by climbing a tree to see Jesus found redemption. By doing so he could be called the little man that did.

Ken