Never Too "Little"

      By Fern Horst

"And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully." (Luke 19:1-6)

Zacchaeus was a man with a couple counts against him. He was a tax collector, which meant he was hated by most. Tax collector's were not usually fair and honest men. They collected more than was required and kept the extra for themselves. It's difficult for most people to like someone who takes advantage of them, and this was the case with Zacchaeus.

The Bible also tells us that he was a short man. Being "little of stature" myself I know the difficulties of being able to see anything when in a crowd of people. But he was also resourceful. So when Jesus came to town and the crowds gathered, Zacchaeus found a tree to climb where he could easily see Jesus above everyone else.

I doubt that Zacchaeus expected any sort of interaction with Jesus. He knew he was a "bad man," having gained his riches by taking advantage of others. He probably felt that Jesus had no need of him. But nevertheless it seems he had an urgency to at least see Jesus.

Imagine his surprise when Jesus stopped right by the tree where Zacchaeus was sitting up in the branches, and told him to come down because he wanted to come to his house! The reaction of the people was interesting: "And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."

It's a typical human response. We don't expect the leaders we admire to associate with those we've labeled as the worst of sinners. Of all the people in the crowd that day why did Jesus choose to go to Zacchaeus' house? Obviously Jesus knew the condition of Zacchaeus' heart and that it was ripe for being redeemed.

"And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

There's something in Zacchaeus with which we can all identify. We're all sinners, certainly, but most of us struggle with some level of insignificance. Without a spouse and perhaps without children, or children who live with their other parent, we wonder what we are accomplishing that will have lasting importance. Perhaps our jobs seem meaningless or we don't know where we fit in at church. As singles in a couples' world we feel like round pegs trying to fit into square holes.

But Jesus sees us as individuals of value and He has a purpose for our seasons of singleness that couldn't be accomplished if we were married at this time. He's waiting and ready to turn our lives around for His purposes and our good. Zacchaeus readily received Him and allowed his life to be changed. It cost him a lot, but he seemed ready to give up his earthly riches for something of eternal value. Is there something we need to give up, or something that will cost us, in order for our lives to be changed? That's something the Lord will have to reveal to each one of us. Our part is to be willing and ready, just as Zacchaeus was.

© 2006 Fern Horst

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