Looking for Zacchaeus

Luke 19

New year, big change? Many of us make some kind of vow to change with the new year; “I’m going to lose some weight”, “I’m going to earn a promotion”, “I’m going to spend more time with my family”. Whatever the challenge, we use major events like a new year to make a change. How much we have changed is the way we can measure if we have kept this commitment.

Zacchaeus didn’t know it, but when he met Jesus, he was going to be a changed man. Like many in our culture Zacchaeus was a hard working guy. He had worked so hard and done such a tremendous job that he had been promoted to be the top in his field. He was the “chief” tax collector. He did whatever it took to become the best: maybe in an effort to get over his height limitation, “he was short in stature”, maybe to insure that he would never be made fun of, or maybe he was simply gifted with numbers and shrewdness and used it to his advantage. He was a thief and a cheat; I know, sounds rough, but look at the result of his life.

We should not be upset when ungodly people act ungodly. They do not live by the same moral code that we do. In fact if ungodly people act godly it should be shocking. It is very important that we show them, through love, patience, and grace, the better way.

Zacchaeus had made it to the top of his career and was still looking for more. Nowhere do we see that he expected Jesus to come to his home. Jesus saw, what we need to see in ungodly people, the hope that God has, that everyone can come to repentance.

Jesus didn’t ask Zacchaeus to make everything from his past right. Jesus simply wanted to be with him and allow him to see God’s great love and grace for him. Zacchaeus got it! Proof of that was that he could not enjoy this new freedom knowing he had cheated and stolen from others. When he understood the love God has for him, he was looking at life through the eyes of love. Not only did he make it right with those he cheated, but the eyes of love gave him a giving heart.

By giving away his wealth, Zacchaeus became wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. No guilt, condemnation, or bondage to money in anyway. He was a free man possibly for the first time in his life. He was a lost sheep that Jesus went out of His way to find.

To be honest, there are certain types of people with whom I just can’t relate, the Zacchaeus’ of this world. I can normally size them up fairly quickly. Regardless of whether I can relate to them or not, God loves them. I have asked the Lord to help me to see them through His eyes. Through my eyes I may see a cheat and a thief or worse but through Jesus’ eyes I see a future brother or sister in Christ. Perhaps God sees a future children’s church teacher, pastor, evangelist, elder, deacon, or simply a future great husband or wife, Dad or Mom. God sees what I do not see. I pray I will see through His eyes and with His heart every day.

Does the Lord have a Zacchaeus in your life? Is there some impossible person who the Lord sees as a world changer? Ask the Lord the help you to see your Zacchaeus’ through His eyes and change their and your world today!

Tomorrow Luke 20