“The
Lord is good to the one who seeks Him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
Most
people do embark on ‘search’ missions full of enthusiasm but get put off by the
obstacles they encounter on the way. When that happens though, it is a sign
that the individual was not really enthused; it was just sheer curiosity, not
strictly to satisfy a need.
In
the course of His journeys, Jesus met a tax collector who was all too eager to
see who He was. Zacchaeus, as he was called, must have heard a lot of
interesting and amazing things about Jesus to have left all he had to do to try
and see this Man himself. He wanted to see what was spectacular or special
about Him. His desire was to take a good peak at Him, rather anonymously,
because he did not think himself worthy of the privilege. Why? Because he
considered himself a sinner; for tax collectors were not popular among the
people they robbed by levying high taxes -- part of which went into their
pockets.
That
he ventured to see Jesus was already an achievement for him. How it ended
though must have come as a surprise, the very least of his expectations. Yet,
all he did was position himself for that outcome. You do not set out to see
Jesus without finding Him and having a life-changing experience.
Zacchaeus
did not realise he had a handicap until he got to the scene where he found a
large crowd teeming around Jesus. He was short in stature so there was no way
he could penetrate the crowd to have a closer view. All his attempts were met
with resistance as they nudged him out of the way.
With
no help in sight, he thought of a smart way to make his venture a success. He
purposed in his heart to go ahead of Jesus, perch on a tree right under where
the latter was heading. In this way, he could see at firsthand what Jesus
looked like and be able to evaluate whether all what had been said about Him
was not exaggerated. He would then be able to relate his experience at the
first opportunity.
What
Zacchaeus did not realise was happening in the spiritual realm was that his
encounter with Jesus was a divine appointment. When Jesus got to the point
where Zacchaeus had perched, He looked up and called to him by name.
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today!” (Luke
19:5b) Zacchaeus must have been stunned. I guess his first reaction as he
muttered to himself would have been; ‘How come He knows my name?’ His second
question would have been; ‘Doesn’t He know I am a sinner to want to come to my
house?’ He was not the only one thinking that way though. When the other tax
collectors saw the Master enter Zacchaeus’ dwelling place they murmured: “He
has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
(Luke 19:7b)
It
is apparent that Zacchaeus must have developed a ‘hunger and thirst after
righteousness’ to have been able to take time off to meet with Jesus. Deep
within him, he sensed something was amiss. Sin had become his master, to the
extent of overpowering him and would have consumed him through and through. He
longed to set eyes on Jesus just at the right time; for it appeared Jesus also
was looking for him.
Each
of us at one point in time in our lives have felt such emptiness and have
yearned for such a vacuum to be filled. The Bible exhorts us to “Seek the Lord
while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.” (Isaiah 55:6) We get to a
stage in our lives when we need to get right with God. Nothing is hidden from
God. King David wrote; “O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know
when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my
going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word
is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord.” (Psalm 139:1-4) These thoughts
equally apply to our situation.
Our
Lord Jesus entered Zacchaeus’ home and said nothing; yet Zacchaeus stood up and
made a commitment: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to
the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four
times the amount.” (Luke 19:8) How did this happen? This tax collector came to
satisfy his curiosity and look at where he is at? -- making a confession. “My
eyes have heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise
myself and repent in dust and ashes.”(Job 42:5-6)
The
very presence of Jesus is enough to reveal the best in us as the filth takes
its exit. By such a statement Zacchaeus made a significant stride of breaking
up with his past; he was literally bowing at the foot of our Lord Jesus in
repentance. He now sees himself as a new creation and in line with the Word
which says: “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old
has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We
all need to come to this stage in our lives! This is an opportunity no one
should miss. If you do not know where to start, say this prayer; “Search me, O
God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is
any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
Our
Lord has a listening ear; He is compassionate. He does not condemn. His desire
is that all will come to the knowledge of the truth and be set free. “He does
not treat us as our sins deserve.” (Psalm 103:10) Remember His mission on earth
is to save those that are lost – ordinary souls like you and me. Do not let the
world deprive you of your position in the Kingdom of God. “But seek first His
kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well.” (Matthew 6:33)
Our
Lord made a pronouncement however after Zacchaeus’ confession. “Today salvation
has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son
of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:9)
Do
not miss yet another opportunity. Jesus is saying to you, dear reader. “Here I
am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice, and opens the
door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)
