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‘”Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this household because he too is a son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'”
Luke 19:9-10
Into the Text
Zacchaeus was not the kind of person anyone expected Jesus to notice. He was a dishonest, disliked tax collector – often written off as hopeless. The crowd didn’t see him. Or maybe they did, but they just didn’t want to.
When Zacchaeus was unable to see Jesus through the crowd, he had to climb a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus.
And Jesus saw him and called him by name. He looked up into the branches of the tree and said, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly because I must stay at your house today.” What an unexpected invitation! In a crowd full of people, Jesus deliberately sought out the one everyone else had overlooked.
Jesus seeks out the lost. He pursues the rejected. He goes after the ones the world has pushed aside, and He says, “You matter to me. I see you, and I know your name.”
Jesus met Zacchaeus right where he was and called him into something greater. Zacchaeus didn’t hesitate. His life was forever changed at that moment.
That’s the beauty of the gospel. Jesus doesn’t wait for us to find our way back. He comes looking for us. He meets us in the trees where we hide and the crowds where we feel invisible.
Sweet friend, feeling far from God doesn’t mean He’s far from you. He sees you and knows exactly where you are.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for seeking me, calling me by name, and meeting me right where I am. I don’t want to hide from you. Change me just like you changed Zacchaeus. I surrender it all. Amen.