He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
—Luke 19:3-4
Most Christian kids grow up with the story of Zacchaeus. Your Sunday school teacher may have taught you a song about this “wee little man” to drive home the point. The classic Sunday school lesson focuses on the fact that although Zacchaeus was a tax collector and sinner, Jesus chose fellowship at his house. Therefore, Zacchaeus was inspired to make restitution to the people he had wronged and seek forgiveness for his sins.
The fact that he was short usually gets glossed over. However, God never puts a detail in the Bible without a reason. In this story, Luke makes sure to tell us Zacchaeus was short. Additionally, we can infer he was much shorter than
average for a man, since he had to climb a tree to see over crowds. Why did
Luke focus on this detail? Perhaps it was to show us an imitable quality in Zacchaeus: his determination.
The Bible doesn’t tell us if Zacchaeus knew who Jesus was at this point. We don’t know if he knew Jesus was the Son of God or even about His previous healings and miracles. Still, Zacchaeus was determined to see this man. He was so determined, in fact, that he climbed one of the tallest trees in existence for a better view. This was risky and dangerous, but Zacchaeus decided seeing Jesus was worth it.
When was the last time you took a risk to attain something you really wanted? More to the point, when was the last time you tried to get close to God? The hazard doesn’t have to involve climbing a tree or something physical. It can be as simple as reading your Bible at work or as complicated as going on a mission trip to the developing world. If God directs you through, He’ll see and reward your determination and risk.
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