“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” Luke 19:1-4 (NIV) On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho. This city was one of the greatest taxation centers in Palestine and featured world-famous balsam groves, which perfumed the air for miles. On this particular day, something else was in the air. We meet a chief tax collector named, Zacchaeus. He was at the top of the financial pyramid and had many tax collectors under him. Though Zacchaeus was big in wealth, he was little in stature. Jesus was coming through town and Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. Unable to see over the crowd, Zacchaeus decided to climb a “seek-Him-more” tree, that is, a sycamore tree. Now he was up in the air at a level where he could see Jesus clearly. Zacchaeus was determined to see Jesus, even if it meant climbing a tree. What motivated Zacchaeus to go to such an extreme to see Jesus? Had he already heard about Jesus healing the blind beggar on the edge of town (Luke 18:35-43)? Maybe Zacchaeus was searching for the true meaning of life and had not found it. Perhaps his income was not sufficient to meet the deepest need of his heart. It is possible to lose your focus in this world filled with so many voices and allurements. There are countless distractions that dilute our devotion to the One who has given us life. Would you be willing to climb a tree if that is what it took to encounter the Lord? Are you making room for a daily, unhurried connect time with Jesus? Do you truly seek Him daily? Pursuing God, Stephen Trammell Executive Pastor
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