“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully” –Luke 19:1-10.
Exactly when did Jesus know Zacchaeus, this chief tax collector, this marginalized, ostracized son of Abraham, would run through the thick of the crowd gathered in his village, climb up into a fig tree—just to get a look at Him?
Was it while Jesus was teaching another crowd on another day in some other village about the Parable of the lost—lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son? Was it during His time of teaching His disciples about forgiveness and faith? Maybe It was after He had entered a small village somewhere between Galilee and Samaria, and ten men covered in leprosy cried out to Him for healing? Or, perhaps, it was in a Nanosecond of what we call time, somewhere in eternity past? Was Jesus standing over the dark void when He planned to meet Zacchaeus under that Sycamore-fig tree?
The Bible doesn’t fill in that particular blank for us.
Suffice it to say, however, God knew the exact second this man of small moral and physical stature would quite literally be found, “up a tree.” God had always been working in Zacchaeus, just below the surface. Unnoticed, unrecognized, yet ever-present in every-thing that had ever happened in Zacchaeus’ life. God had been using every joy, smile, every pain, hurt, and disappointment. Every rejection, each harsh word spoken, every bright ray of sun that had ever pierced the darkness of Zacchaeus’ isolation—his loneliness. God had used each moment—every choice, good or bad,, like so many stones. And God laid them one by one, paving a path that would eventually lead Zacchaeus to climb up that exact fig tree—at precisely the right time.
The Holy Spirit is stealth—and intentional. There are no accidents with God. No “almost.“
God had a plan for Zacchaeus’s life, just as surely as He did for Father Abraham’s. Different, certainly, just as each man’s life is different. God’s plans for you, you, and I are as unique as we are. Yet similar somehow, united in purpose in Christ Jesus, we are His Body after all. God had a plan for our salvation and our ongoing transformation. Just as God had a plan that would empower Zacchaeus to do,, in all probability, what he had not done since boyhood, climb a tree! God will drive us towards the most peculiar of places, and He’ll do it at the most inopportune of times—untimely for us, that is. God’s timing is always perfect. Always on time. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” –Isaiah 55:8-9.
Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus, about the miracles He’d performed. Maybe he’d climbed that tree hoping he’d get something from Jesus? And get something he did! Surely Zacchaeus never saw coming what it was he would receive from Jesus—newness of life. Unlike the blind beggar who had shouted out to Jesus from the gate of this same village, Zacchaeus had his sight, physically speaking, that is. But in fact, it was the blind man who had 20/20 vision compared to Zacchaeus and many others gathered there that day. The blind man recognized Jesus for who He was, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” –but that’s best left for us to explore another day.
That blind beggar knew he wanted to be healed, and he let everyone within earshot know about it. “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. So he called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me” –Luke 18:37-38. We never hear Zacchaeus crying out to Jesus for healing or forgiveness. Verse six plainly says that when Jesus called him down out of the tree that they might share lunch, “Zacchaeus climbed down quickly and with great joy and took Jesus into his house.” Where’s the shame? The downcast eyes, heart, and spirit? Where’s the wailing, gnashing of teeth, and tearing of his garments, evidence of Zacchaeus’ feeling the weight of his sins? Where were the sackcloth and ashes? The remorse?
Answer: God sees what mere men cannot. And I, for one, am so grateful that He does. “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” –1 Samuel16:7. In reading the account of Zacchaeus and Jesus, I was reminded of yet another wayward son of Abraham. A son separated from his family and community due to sin—and selfish choices.
We’re never told what drove Zacchaeus to become a chief tax collector—perhaps the vilest of jobs a Jew could have. Maybe we should look to the Apostle Matthew for our answer? Remember, he was a tax collector right up to the moment Jesus “just happened” to walk past him.
Although I’m a woman, and they’re tax collectors, I saw my own life staring back at me through the lens of Zacchaeus and Matthew’s choices. I, too, was broken and dead in my sin. Having lusted after the things of this world, I was once separated from family and friends due to my poor choices—sullied by the sins of my countless offenses. More, I was separated from God.
Yet unbeknownst to us, God was never far from us. His Holy Spirit knew precisely when and where He’d call us out of darkness, into His glorious Light. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” –1 Peter 2:9.
Unlike blind Bartimaeus, it had never occurred to me to call out to Jesus.
Sure, I knew of Him. I believed in Him even—at least I believed that He was. Yet I never opened my mouth. I never asked for what I most needed. How fortunate (such a pale expression of such an incredible blessing) I was that Jesus had determined to walk past me—just as He did Zacchaeus and Matthew, Paul too. How fortunate (such a pale expression of such an incredible blessing) I was that Jesus had determined to walk past me—just as He did Zacchaeus and Matthew, Paul too. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” –Romans 5:8.
God chose each of us in Himself long before we had a clue. “Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine” –Ezekiel 16:8.
While Zacchaeus and Matthew were swindling and cheating people out of their hard-earned money and goods, Paul’s heart was burning with murderous intentions to kill those who believed in this Jesus. Yet God had sealed each of these men in Himself—calling them His own. And He did the same for me. Scripture is clear that Zacchaeus never cried out to Jesus. Never shouted out to get God’s attention—Matthew either. In each of their cases—Paul’s also, God made sure that He was the One to get their attention. This Pure and Holy God came to each of these sin-soaked men—and to me, presenting Himself in such a way that to not follow after Him—not leave it all behind, not change our ways— repent, was not an option. “Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the Father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them” –Romans 4:10-11.
I certainly don’t profess to understand the depths of God. I see and understand in part. I’m a simple sheep following after a God that is far too big—too marvelous—too Brilliant, Creative, Deep, Holy, and Pure for me to comprehend fully—this side of eternity, nor would I want to. I am thankful for being me, knowing I serve a God who is far too big for me to get my arms—mind, knowing—heart around.
Yet, by His grace, I can follow Zacchaeus’ example and climb whatever tree necessary to get a better look at—a more intimate understanding of—a more profound revelation of the One I love as He passes by. My Triune One, who stood over the void and said, “This world will not be complete without my daughter.”
My Jesus, who left the Father’s side that He might walk before me, ensuring I forget my way back home.
How about you, friend? If you’ve only heard about Jesus, knowing Him from afar, are you willing to climb whatever tree you must to get closer to Him? I pray you do. “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” –Jeremiah 29:12-13.
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