Zacchaeus Waits

Zacchaeus Waits
By Edwin Austin Abbey

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zacchaeus was trying to see who Jesus was, and he was unable due to the crowd, because he was short in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree in order to see Him, because He was about to pass through that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ And he hurried and came down, and received Him joyfully.”
Luke 19:1-6
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Zacchaeus’s story is a reminder that the Lord’s gaze often settles on those whom the world overlooks. The crowds in Jericho saw a man defined by his past and his profession, but Jesus saw someone willing to seek Him despite the judgments of others, and the interaction left Zacchaeus forever changed.

Zacchaeus risked ridicule simply to catch a glimpse of the Savior. His climb was a reach toward the divine—an admission that he needed more than what wealth or reputation could give. N. T. Wright notes that he is “a classic example of someone who is rich and yet is prepared to make the kind of radical response which Jesus demands.” That radical response began with a courageous act of vulnerability: risking further social alienation in his awkward but faith-filled attempts get closer to Christ.

When Jesus paused beneath the branches and called his name, Zacchaeus responded without hesitation. As Rev. Charles Spurgeon put it, “There was no demur or hesitancy in his manner. As soon as ever Christ says to him, 'Come down,’ why, dear me, the man is down before we can utter another word!” That eagerness is part of what makes his story so enduring. “He made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully”—a pattern Spurgeon urges us to follow: “Now, then, go and do likewise… make haste, and come down, and receive Christ joyfully.”

Zacchaeus welcomed the Lord into his home and heart with an immediacy and a generosity that revealed the transformation that comes from true discipleship. Lasting conversion is always marked by readiness—a willingness not only to meet Christ where He is but to let His presence in our life reorder our priorities. The invitation that changed Zacchaeus’s life is extended to each of us. Sharon Eubank has taught, “Jesus extends the same kind of invitation to us that He did to Zacchaeus: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if you hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to you, and will sup with you, and you with me.’ Christ sees us in our tree.” He sees our efforts, however imperfect, and our desire to rise above old patterns and expectations. And when we dare to come down—choosing humility over appearances, and longing over fear—He is there waiting to bless and abide with us.

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