Zacchaeus' Example

If we've rightly understood the character of Zacchaeus, our first thought must be that he can only be a bad example. But that's the surprising twist in this story—a twist that Jesus seems to take particular delight in. He chooses to use this greedy, self-serving man—a man who is little in every sense of the word—as an example of what saving faith should look like.

Now one thing that must be clear is that the saving work in Zacchaeus' life is accomplished by Jesus. What Jesus says and does is what is most important, and we're going to consider that soon. But, before we do, I believe part of God's purpose in this story is for us to be inspired by Zacchaeus' example of action.

It all started with curiosity. In and of itself, curiosity is not necessarily a virtue. But if you ever find yourself curious about Jesus, it's a God-given impulse and desire that you should act on. And, for reasons he couldn't fully comprehend, Zacchaeus acted on his curiosity. Luke 19:3 tells us that he wanted to see Jesus who was passing through Jericho.

The city of Jericho was approximately 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem. And on this day it seems that it was pulsing with excitement. Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. It seems that wherever Jesus went, he had a kind of constant crowd around him. You had the twelve apostles, plus the women who traveled with them, plus various hangers-on who just wanted to be around a celebrity and all this in addition to the crowds of pilgrims who were traveling for the Passover.

Picture that multitude and then remember what had happened just before Jesus arrived in Jericho. Luke tells us in chapter 18 that, as he drew near the city, Jesus had miraculously healed a bind man. Verse 43 says that when all the people saw it they gave praise to God. So the festive mood has turned into a full-fledged traveling party, and news that he has come and just healed a blind man spreads through the city. Crowds of people pour out to see Jesus of Nazareth.

And at the back of the crowd, little Zacchaeus is jumping up and down trying to catch a glimpse. Luke 19:3 tells us Zacchaeus couldn't see over the crowd. He was looking at someone's back. But then his curiosity turns into resolve. You have to love his determination to see Jesus. Luke tells us that he ran on ahead. Mr. Chief-tax collector picks up his robe and runs to a Sycamore tree and climbs up.

Now let me pause here and say that, as a short man myself, this is not a smooth move on Zacchaeus' part. Those of us who are short know that, for the sake of maintaining our dignity, there are certain actions we try to avoid. Here's the basic rule: you don't want do anything in front of other people that acknowledges that your height is a detriment. So standing on your tippy-toes to see something, or jumping to try and grab something is not advised.

The other day I went to get something in my office closet. It was too high for me to reach and there wasn't a chair handy so I proceeded to jump in attempt to grab it off the shelf. I did this several times before I realized that my assistant was watching from the next room.

She said, "Can I get that for you?" It was somewhat humiliating.

I say all this to make the point that what Zacchaeus is doing in this moment leaves him in a very vulnerable position. He might as well be holding up a sign that says, "I'm short!" Hello, world, I'm too short to see over the crowd so I'm climbing up a tree for a better view! He wants to see Jesus so much that he's making a fool of himself to do it. And he doesn't care. And I love him for it.

Some of you are curious about Jesus. You want to know more. You're trying to catch a glimpse of him. You're trying to understand who he is and what his life and teaching mean for you.

And you might be at that point where the only way for you to really see him is to take the kind of action that might make you look foolish to others.

Maybe climbing a tree for you is coming to church. Or maybe it's going to that Christian friend who really seems to know Christ and asking him or her, "What does it mean to know Jesus?" Maybe it's really reading your Bible and asking questions. Whatever it might be, taking that step opens you up to criticism. Someone might mock you. Make fun of you. Ridicule you.

Zacchaeus is an example for those who are exploring the Christian faith. I don't know if Zacchaeus stopped to think about how silly he would look up in that tree, but I know he looks back on that moment as the best decision of his life. He just wanted to see Jesus, and he got so much more than he bargained for.
(To be continued...)