Jesus, The Friend Of Sinners

I believe that it was more than curiosity that motivated him to try and get a better look. Could it be that by this time in Zacchaeus’ life he had a heavy heart. Remember, he was alone with his riches and had no true friends. He had money but money can’t buy love, joy and peace.

I would go further and suggest that he felt some conflict going on inside about his dishonest tactics. If so, this was the Holy Spirit beginning His redemptive work. Jesus says in John 16:8 that it is the Holy Spirit who brings the conviction of sin to our hearts.

This could be why Zacchaeus tries desperately to see Jesus, knowing He was about to pass by.

III. The Persistence of Zacchaeus

(Luke 19:4 NASB) And he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way.

Zacchaeus was short in stature; his efforts to get to Jesus were probably resisted by those in the crowd who recognized him as the filthy-rich IRS chief.

But he didn’t let any of those hindrances get in his way. He ran and climbed in order to see Jesus.

Zacchaeus was a quick thinker and used some ingenuity. He saw which way the crowd was going and ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree.

This ought to be convicting for some of us. We don’t have to push through a crowd and run and climb a tree to meet with Jesus; many folk have a hard time climbing out of bed, let alone a tree. God has made it simple:

* All we have to do is have a willing heart

* All we have to do is open the Bible.

* All we have to do is bow our heads and pray, asking God to open our heart.

Zacchaeus must have been the one who coined the phrase, “If there is a will, there is a way.” Are you doing everything within your ability to see Jesus? Is there anything hindering you from seeing Jesus?

Is it pride? Pride could have surely stopped Zacchaeus in his tracks. He could have thought to himself, “What would people think?”

It was ironic that the tree Zacchaeus climbed was a sycamore tree. A sycamore tree was a poor man’s tree. It was used as food for the poor. (1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27.) Poor people used its wood rather than expensive cedar (Isa. 9:10).

Zacchaeus had to humble himself to see Jesus.

Is it materialism? Zacchaeus could have been preoccupied with counting his money as the crowd moved past his shop and missed the entire event. He could have made a date to watch that new TV show that’s been advertised for weeks. Working hard to collect those taxes could have made him feel too tired to make the trip to see Jesus.

Is it an incorrect assumption about Jesus Himself? Zacchaeus could have thought to himself, “Jesus would never waste His time with the likes of me. He’s got better things to do with better people.” Zach could have let this kind of assumption keep him in his house.

Is it procrastination? Zacchaeus could have reasoned within himself, “He’ll come through town again one day. I’ll see Him the next time around.”

But Luke 19:4 says that Zacchaeus ran. Zacchaeus’ running and climbing wasn’t in vain because he accomplished what he needed to do; he saw Jesus. But the unexpected happened. Jesus saw him!