The Heart Of Zacchaeus
John Allan
In Luke 19:1-10 the Bible tells us about a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus as he entered and passed through Jericho, but he encountered a problem. Zacchaeus was short, and, because a crowd had assembled, he was not able to see who Jesus was.
Here is a man who wanted to see Jesus. An obstacle was in his way. How would Zacchaeus react?
He could have made excuses. After all, he made the effort to come and see Jesus, and, surely, that was good enough. Certainly, God would understand Zacchaeus' personal situation and excuse him. Nobody would deny that Zacchaeus was short, and nobody would deny that Zacchaeus could not see over taller people. Who could blame him for just going home? Thankfully, Zacchaeus did not take this route. His desire was to see Jesus, and he would not let an obstacle stop him.
He could have taken somebody's word for it. Since Zacchaeus was short, he could have asked a taller person in the crowd to tell him what Jesus looked like. This would have been better than nothing, I suppose, but it still would not be as good as seeing for himself.
Zacchaeus did not choose this option, and neither should we. There is no short supply of people who would be happy to tell you what is pleasing to God without insisting that you study the Bible for yourself to be certain. Do not settle for a second-hand faith: go straight to the source and rely on God's Word.
He found a way to see the Lord. Zacchaeus did not let the obstacle stop him from his objective. He climbed up into a tree so that he could see Jesus for himself. Jesus saw him and said "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house" (Luke 19:5b. NKJV).
Today, we do not see Jesus by crowding near a street or climbing up in a tree. We see Jesus by studying the Bible. Many do not come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ because they will not invest the time and energy to learn about Him. Others make excuses or take somebody else's word for it. May we have the heart of Zacchaeus: a spirit that refuses to stop short of knowing the Lord Jesus Christ! -106 Ridge Park Place, Raymond, MS 39154. www.clintoncoc.org