As a little boy, I remember singing the church song, “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man” that told the story of this “height challenged” character from the Bible. And the hand motions seemed to add another dimension to the adventure!
You can read his story in the first ten verses of Luke 19.
By meditating on Zacchaeus’ divine encounter with Jesus, I observe a few things from that Sycamore tree. The tree was a place of:
1. COMFORT. No doubt, Zacchaeus had been up that tree before. Probably many times. It may have been a special place for napping or daydreaming.
2. CONVENIENCE. Rather than craning his neck to see the action or pushing his way through a crowd to see what was going on, he could simply scamper up the tree for a full view. Over the years he may have used that vantage point to view government leaders passing by, hear important announcements for the community or cheer on a scuffle in the neighborhood.
3. CONSEQUENCE. His life would forever be changed by his decision to climb the tree that day to see Jesus.
I may not have a sycamore tree to climb, but I have a “place” to go where I can get a full view of Jesus.
When I read God’s Word, it gives great comfort to my soul. In some parts of the world you can be imprisoned for having a copy of the Bible. But in my life I have the convenience of many translations of God’s Word – either hard copies or online. And, of course, the consequence of spending time with Jesus and accepting His Lordship is eternal life.
Although Zacchaeus was a “wee little man”, God blessed him with significant spiritual stature and a powerful testimony that still resonates with people today!
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