24 September | EVERYONE
“And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.’” Luke 19: 9,10
A crowd followed Jesus that evening in Jericho, the city of palm trees. People from all walks of life were trying to get to Jesus. The Master's fame had spread throughout the region. People had heard of His miracles and wonderful healings, and they came to Him in the hope of receiving a little of those blessings. Among these people also walked Zacchaeus, a publican hated by all. Publicans were Jews who worked for Rome collecting heavy taxes from the people. They were despised and rejected. Considered to have no right to salvation.
Zacchaeus' case was worse because he was a rich and dishonest man. He took advantage of the public office he held to line his pockets with money. Everyone knew. He, more than anyone else. He lacked peace in his heart. He considered himself lost and hopeless. So that evening he tried to get close to Jesus, but he could not. The crowd squeezed the Master, and he was small in stature. So he climbed to the top of a sycamore tree in the hope of seeing Jesus even from afar.
Suddenly, Jesus stopped and looked up at the tree. The crowd followed His gaze. There, on the top of the sycamore tree, was Zacchaeus, trembling and excited. The Master told him to come down because he would be staying at his house that night. When Jesus arrived, He said, "Today salvation has come to this house!"
What a wonderful day for a poor sinner! In the morning, he was just a despised and rejected tax collector. At night, he was accepted, loved, and honored by the Lord of salvation.
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How quickly Zacchaeus came down from the tree when Jesus asked him to! (See Luke 19:5-6). He did so with the naturalness that comes with newly acquired freedom. And with the humility of a renewed heart ready to change your life right now. Are you, too, ready to "come down from the tree" and welcome Jesus into your home?