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In ancient Jericho, where the publican was,
The rich Zacchaeus was eager to see the real boss,
A tax collector who people despised and scorned,
Yet, in his heart, he longed for the Savior’s bond.

Zacchaeus’ faith, like a sycamore tree, stood firm,
Its roots delve deep, a lesson to learn.
Zacchaeus climbed to have a glance at the Son of Man,
He couldn’t walk slow, his eagerness made him run.

Opportunity met a heart prepared,
Christ came and to Zacchaeus He declared,
To come down and receive him because He cared,
Zacchaeus came down, invited Jesus to his house, and shared.

In a world where the rich and poor unite,
The gospel’s embrace, a boundless light,
Like eagles, God wants us to take a flight,
To love and serve and have faith day and night.

“Make haste, come down,” the Savior spoke,
A call to humbleness, sin to revoke.
Salvation visited Zacchaeus’ home,
A son of Abraham, no longer to roam.

Murmurs rose like distant thunder,
Judgments cast as people wondered.
Yet, undeterred, Zacchaeus chose,
To climb the tree, in faith, He arose.

A sycamore, with roots profound,
In Christ alone, our surest ground.
Nature’s lesson, vivid and clear,
Faith in God is the foundation dear.

Restitution, a transformed heart’s decree,
Repentance lived, a life set free.
Half his wealth to the poor, he gave,
A soul redeemed from sin’s dark cave.

In murmurs, the crowd questioned the choice,
To dine with a sinner, they raised their voice.
Yet Christ sought and saved what was lost,
No soul is too far, no matter the cost.

Let this tale echo, a biblical song,
Your faith, like a sycamore, sturdy and strong.
In our climb to the ultimate promise, with hearts restored,
We share the gospel, our risen Lord.

Hebrews 11:32-35 (KJV) – “³² And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: ³³ Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. ³⁴ Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. ³⁵ Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.”

Luke 19:1-2 (KJV) – “¹ And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.”

“The chief among the publicans,” Zacchaeus, was a Jew, and detested by his countrymen. His rank and wealth were the reward of a calling they abhorred, and which was regarded as another name for injustice and extortion. Yet the wealthy customs officer was not altogether the hardened man of the world that he seemed. Beneath the appearance of worldliness and pride was a heart susceptible to divine influences. Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus. The report of One who had borne Himself with kindness and courtesy toward the proscribed classes had spread far and wide. In this chief of the publicans was awakened a longing for a better life. Only a few miles from Jericho, John the Baptist had preached at the Jordan, and Zacchaeus had heard of the call to repentance. The instruction to the publicans, “Exact no more than that which is appointed you” (Luke 3:13), though outwardly disregarded, had impressed his mind. He knew the Scriptures, and was convicted that his practice was wrong. Now, hearing the words reported to have come from the Great Teacher, he felt that he was a sinner in the sight of God. Yet what he had heard of Jesus kindled hope in his heart. Repentance, reformation of life, was possible, even to him; was not one of the new Teacher’s most trusted disciples a publican? Zacchaeus began at once to follow the conviction that had taken hold upon him, and to make restitution to those whom he had wronged.” –  The Desire of Ages, Page 552.4, Ellen G. White.

The Jewish people harbored animosity towards tax collectors, commonly known as publicans, due to the perception that they engaged in dishonest practices. Publicans were often criticized for imposing excessive taxes beyond what was deemed fair. Zacchaeus not only held the role of a publican but also held a prominent position among them, indicating that he was a leading tax collector. This might imply that he held a high-ranking position among tax collectors. This also implies that he was the most corrupt or the one who embezzled the most money.

The Bible says that Zacchaeus was rich. Jesus was not discriminative. He equally ministered to the rich and poor people in society. Many people make it look like worshipping God is only meant for poor people since they are assumed to be the ones who have more problems. Poor people are not the only ones with problems; the rich also have problems. The gospel is meant for the rich and the poor. It is meant for all races and tribes.

On the other hand, some churches and some chosen men of God treat the rich with great respect and despise the poor. The love of Christ is not in them because true love is non-discriminative. They also forget that we live in a world that’s round both physically and spiritually, and anytime tables can turn. One who was the poorest can become the richest within a day or in a short time period. The gospel is meant for everybody. John 3:16 (KJV) – “For God so loved the world.” God did not love a specific group of people only. He loved the world.

Luke 19:3-4 (KJV) – “³ And he sought to see Jesus who He was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. ⁴ And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him: for He was to pass that way.”

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but because he was short in size and there was a huge crowd, he realized that if he stayed in the crowd, he would not see Him. Therefore, before Jesus came, he ran and climbed a sycamore tree. Zacchaeus made an early preparation before the Lord Jesus came. He did not wait for Jesus to arrive for him to climb the tree.

Even though Zacchaeus was a sinner, he had some faith. He heard that Jesus was coming to that town and climbed the tree before Jesus arrived. Opportunity always meets preparation. The Bible says, “Zacchaeus ran before.” In other words, he made fast action. He prepared quickly. If he had failed to act fast and to act immediately, he would have probably missed seeing Jesus since Jesus was probably passing by while going somewhere else.

A former Kenyan Member of parliament called Kimani Ngunjiri, before he became a member of parliament, jumped in the middle of the road and stopped the president’s motorcade when he heard that former President Moi was passing. At that time, he was afflicted as his land was being stolen, so he wanted the president to intervene. What he did was considered illegal, but he risked it to get help from the president.

Luckily for him, the president helped him. We should act like that, especially when it comes to Godly things. For any service that God calls us to do, we should pounce on it quickly without delay. We need to be bold, always grabbing opportunities when they pass by.

Sometimes opportunities may come as emergencies, like how Jesus passed through Jericho, and you must act fast. Secondly, God loves it when you take risks, as long as you don’t sin while taking those risks. This is because taking risks is an act of faith.

Many would achieve great success if they took action on the truth immediately before consulting other people. Consulting people may sometimes slow you down, especially those who give you ungodly advice and those who discourage you.

People give you advice based on what they know, and what they know is limited since most of us only know what we have experienced or what has been revealed to us. No matter how many years we have lived on this earth, what we have not experienced is way more than what we have experienced.

Zacchaeus recognized the value of seeing Jesus, so he ran to climb a tree. If he didn’t understand the value, he wouldn’t have bothered. Few people understand the true value of the gospel. Few people understand the meaning of “It is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

Some Christians don’t understand the value of attending church. Over 90% of Christians don’t understand the value of the Sabbath. Many do not understand the value of obeying the Ten Commandments. Many Christians do not see the value of Bible study and memorization. Some do not see the value of personal prayers, while others do not see the value of fellowship. Many don’t see the value of praying as a family. Very few see the value of fasting and praying.

There is nothing written in scripture that is accidental, or that has no significance. There is a reason why the tree that Zacchaeus climbed is specified. God could have inspired Luke to write that Zacchaeus climbed onto a tree without being specific on the type of tree it was, but He did not do that. He was specific about the type of tree that Zacchaeus climbed, a sycamore tree.

When studying the Bible, try to find deeper reasons why some things are written. For example, when you see a place mentioned in the Bible, try to find out the meaning of the name of that place if it has not been stated in the Bible.

When you read the genealogy of Jesus, Noah, or anyone else in the Bible, try to find out the meaning of those names mentioned in the genealogies. If you do that, the Holy Spirit will reveal deeper and essential truths you did not know. Some truths the Holy Spirit will reveal to you are truths that had never been revealed to anyone else, and you will be highly privileged to receive them.

Having said that, what is a sycamore tree? I read about it, and I discovered that a Sycamore tree is an immensely durable tree with a rapid growth rate and expansive root system. It is described as a highly durable tree with large roots. These characteristics denote that it is a stable tree. It is a strong tree with branches that cannot easily break.

Zacchaeus ran to climb a tree that was stable. As Christians, we need to build on a stable foundation and that foundation is Jesus. A sycamore tree can grow from 30 meters to 40 meters (96 feet to 131 feet) tall.

The Bible describes Zacchaeus as short in stature. He might have been three to four feet tall. There were people in the crowd who were taller than him, probably five feet or six feet or seven feet, or even more. He did not consider his height an obstacle to getting what he highly valued. He went and climbed one of the tallest trees in the area. Climbing the sycamore tree heightened his view from 3 to 4 feet to 96 to 131 feet.

Disability should never be inability. God has created nature to complement us. Zacchaeus used nature to complement the height he was not gifted with to get what he wanted. Nature has the cure for various diseases, even chronic ones.

Nature is also filled with spiritual lessons to learn from. By climbing one of the tallest trees, Zacchaeus proved to us that we don’t need to have everything or be gifted with everything for us to succeed.

Zacchaeus did not feel sorry for himself that he could not see Jesus. Instead, he did everything that he could do to see Christ. In his time, some people were taller than him, but since they didn’t understand the value of Jesus, they remained at home, for they had no interest in seeing the Lord Jesus pass by their town.

Luke 19:5 (KJV) – “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”

When Jesus looked up, He saw Zacchaeus. Many things are up that God has created, for example, the sky, the branches, and leaves of trees, the clouds, the birds, etc.

In the midst of all that, Jesus saw Zacchaeus. That should tell you how precious the life of a human being is to God. The life of a human being is more precious to God than everything He has created. Genesis 1:26 (KJV) – “Let us make man in Our image.”

We can see here that Jesus called Zacchaeus by name, meaning He knew Zacchaeus. He did not ask Zacchaeus what his name was. Zacchaeus also knew who Jesus was, so he climbed a sycamore tree to see Him. Jesus had never ministered to Zacchaeus before despite knowing him.

The reason why He had never ministered to him was that Zacchaeus never showed interest in receiving Christ. God cannot force you to accept or follow Him. He will let you go the way you choose. However, this time round, when Jesus was passing through Jericho, Zacchaeus was extremely interested to see Him, so he made an effort to climb a sycamore tree. The climbing of the sycamore tree was an act of faith.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) – “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Zacchaeus pleased God because he showed faith. Zacchaeus was materially rich, but he had sunk deep in sin since He was the chief among the publicans. He needed someone to lift him from sinking in the deep dirty river of sin. God saw his faith and rewarded him immediately with what he desperately needed.

God gives you what you need. God could not have awarded him with riches because he already had them. He rewarded him with salvation. Jesus saw Zacchaeus’ efforts and immediately gave him what he needed.

If Zacchaeus had been in the crowd, maybe Jesus could not have seen him. Jesus saw Zacchaeus because he stood out. It would be best if you stand out when doing the right things. Your effort needs to stand out by always going the extra mile in every good thing that you do.

Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus and told him something. Jesus did not just see Zacchaeus physically, but He saw Zacchaeus’ interest in Him. When Jesus saw that Zacchaeus was interested in Him, He spoke to him. Immediately, He gave the chief of the publicans His Word.

When God sees that your heart is interested in Him, He immediately gives you a blessing, His Word. After He gives you His Word, it is up to you to choose whether to obey it. Jesus told him, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”

Jesus told Zacchaeus to make haste and come down. In other words, He told him to hurry up and humble himself. If you want to interact with God, you must first come down. It would be best if you first humbled yourself. You cannot be up while God is down. That may be one reason God dwells in Heaven, high above us.

Psalm 2:4 (KJV) – “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” God laughs when the wicked imagine a vain thing (Psalm 2:1), and that vain thing is thinking that you are better, smarter, or higher than God.

Jesus first told Zacchaeus to humble himself. He did not start by condemning Zacchaeus or telling him about his sins. Many preachers preach good messages in vain because the people they are preaching to have not humbled themselves.

After telling Zacchaeus to humble himself, He bids him to invite Him to his house. Asking Zacchaeus to invite Him to his house was also asking him to invite Him to his heart. Revelation 3:20 (KJV) – “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” God is knocking at the door of your heart. Let Him in.

Jesus had to ensure that Zacchaeus had first humbled himself and invited Him to his heart before He could proceed with the message and changing the chief publican’s life.

The Sermon on the Mount, which entails the life of a true Christian, was a sermon meant for the disciples of Jesus. It was a sermon meant for a converted person.

Matthew 5:14 – “Ye are the light of the world.” The light of the world is not an unconverted person; it is a converted person. Therefore, Jesus had to ensure that Zacchaeus surrendered to Him so He could change his life. Total surrender to Christ has numerous benefits.

Luke 19:6 (KJV) – “And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully.”

Zacchaeus humbled himself immediately and received Jesus joyfully. Many people receive Jesus half-heartedly. They give their lives to Christ but feel sad when they remember how much fun they had in the world. When they reminisce about life in nightclubs or how they used to get lots of money through theft, they want to return. Some of them don’t take long before they return to the sin they had allegedly left.

“It is when Christ is received as a personal Saviour that salvation comes to the soul. Zacchaeus had received Jesus, not merely as a passing guest in his home, but as One to abide in the soul temple. The scribes and Pharisees accused him as a sinner, they murmured against Christ for becoming his guest, but the Lord recognized him as a son of Abraham. For “they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” Galatians 3:7.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 556.4, Ellen G. White.

Luke 19:7 (KJV) – “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That He was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”

The majority of people don’t like to see success. They don’t like to see progress. Negative news usually spread faster than positive news. When one talks of how much God has blessed them, they are shunned and seen as bragging. But when one talks about how much they are facing problems, they are always entertained, especially by people who, most of the time, pretend to be sympathizing but deep in their hearts are happy.

Comedians and memes are considered funny because they often speak about the negative things in life. Stories of a person’s failures bring more laughter than stories of success. If you find negative things funny, you must repent and seek God earnestly to change your heart.

Instead of the people being happy for Zacchaeus, they started gossiping about him of how he was a sinner. They remembered his past failures instead of seeing his present and future success of salvation. The Bible says, “they murmured.” This means they spoke in low tones because they knew what they said was wrong. This also means that they were sinners as much as Zacchaeus was, or maybe more than he was, because they knew gossiping was a sin, but they still did it.

If they were genuine, they would have rejoiced that Zacchaeus met the Savior. They would have also made a step in inviting Jesus to their houses, but they didn’t do that. Instead, they despised His ministry. Let’s learn to celebrate people’s success and not despise it. If we despise people’s success, we may never succeed because we cannot get what we despise.

Luke 19:8 (KJV) –”And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.”

“No repentance is genuine that does not work reformation. The righteousness of Christ is not a cloak to cover unconfessed and unforsaken sin; it is a principle of life that transforms the character and controls the conduct. Holiness is wholeness for God; it is the entire surrender of heart and life to the indwelling of the principles of Heaven.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 555.6, Ellen G. White.

“The Christian in his business life is to represent to the world the manner in which our Lord would conduct business enterprises. In every transaction he is to make it manifest that God is his teacher. “Holiness unto the Lord” is to be written upon daybooks and ledgers, on deeds, receipts, and bills of exchange. Those who profess to be followers of Christ, and who deal in an unrighteous manner, are bearing false witness against the character of a holy, just, and merciful God. Every converted soul will, like Zacchaeus, signalize the entrance of Christ into his heart by an abandonment of the unrighteous practices that have marked his life. Like the chief publican, he will give proof of his sincerity by making restitution. The Lord says, “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; … none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: … He shall surely live.” Ezekiel 33:15, 16.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 556.1, Ellen G. White.

“If we have injured others through any unjust business transaction, if we have overreached in trade, or defrauded any man, even though it be within the pale of the law, we should confess our wrong, and make restitution as far as lies in our power. It is right for us to restore not only that which we have taken, but all that it would have accumulated if put to a right and wise use during the time it has been in our possession.”- The Desire of Ages, Page 556.2, Ellen G. White.

Zacchaeus returned all he had stolen fourfold. Zacchaeus gave half of his gifts to people experiencing poverty and remained with half. That is true reformation which is quite rare. Some people used to be armed robbers or corrupt people in government or where they were appointed.

Some people turn to Christianity to evade the penalties they may face due to what they have done. Some have managed to be ‘successful’ in doing that. Unfortunately, they never return what they have stolen to the rightful owners, and they continue using their stolen resources. Zacchaeus returned with interest to the people he had conned.

Some good, righteous people were stolen from by Zacchaeus. When Zacchaeus stole from them by false accusation, they might have felt discouraged from living a righteous life because they were robbed, making them have less than they originally had. God’s timing is perfect.

Through Zacchaeus, God restored them fourfold. If Zacchaeus had not stolen from them, they would still have what they had or less than since it would have been used. Zacchaeus stealing from them was a blessing in disguise. It is like they had given money to Zacchaeus to invest, and after investing, he returned to them four times what they originally had.

Some had been stolen from the previous week or the previous day and were still in pain. While they were still in pain, God came and comforted them. Matthew 5:4 (KJV) – “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” This also teaches us that as a Christian, there is no one who can rob you. They may attempt to rob you, but they will be robbing themselves. Zacchaeus robbed himself because he had to return fourfold, meaning he returned what he had stolen and what he had not.

As a child of God, when somebody does something evil to you, whatever bad thing they have done to you is a blessing in disguise. You may feel like you’ve lost, but you’ve won. That is why the Bible says in Matthew 5:10-12 (KJV) – “¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Luke 19:9-10 (KJV) – “⁹ And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

“To Zacchaeus the Saviour said, “This day is salvation come to this house.” Not only was Zacchaeus himself blessed, but all his household with him. Christ went to his home to give him lessons of truth, and to instruct his household in the things of the kingdom. They had been shut out from the synagogues by the contempt of rabbis and worshipers; but now, the most favored household in all Jericho, they gathered in their own home about the divine Teacher, and heard for themselves the words of life.” – The Desire of Ages, Page 556.3, Ellen G. White.

Christ came to save what was lost. It doesn’t matter the risk it takes to find that one soul who is lost. Like the shepherd in the wilderness who went searching for that one sheep, Christ searches for that one soul at the risk of His own life. His love for us made Him die on the cross and suffer all the afflictions He suffered despite being God.

Like the lost coin, which made the woman sweep the whole house to find it, Christ will do His best to find you no matter how much you have sunk in sin.

“The lost coin represents those who are lost in trespasses and sins, but who have no sense of their condition. They are estranged from God, but they know it not. Their souls are in peril, but they are unconscious and unconcerned. In this parable Christ teaches that even those who are indifferent to the claims of God are the objects of His pitying love. They are to be sought for, that they may be brought back to God…. The coin, though lying among dust and rubbish, is a piece of silver still. Its owner seeks it because it is of value. So every soul, however degraded by sin, is in God’s sight accounted precious. As the coin bears the image and superscription of the reigning power, so man at his creation bore the image and superscription of God; and though now marred and dim through the influence of sin, the traces of this inscription remain upon every soul. God desires to recover that soul, and to retrace upon it His own image in righteousness and holiness. The woman in the parable searches diligently for her lost coin…. So in the family, if one member is lost to God, every means should be used for his recovery. On the part of all the others, let there be diligent, careful self-examination. Let the life-practise be investigated. See if there is not some mistake, some error in management, by which that soul is confirmed in impenitence.” – With God at Dawn, Page 73, Ellen G. White.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before you with gratitude and humility, acknowledging your sovereignty and love. Thank you for the inspiring story of Zacchaeus, a man who, despite his past, found redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. Your grace knows no bounds, and we are grateful for the hope and transformation Zacchaeus experienced.

As we reflect on this story, may it serve as a reminder that your love extends to all, regardless of their past mistakes or societal status. Help us, Lord, to be vessels of your love and grace, reaching out to those who may feel lost or marginalized. May we have the compassion to see beyond outward appearances and embrace the potential for redemption in every soul.

Grant us the faith and courage to take swift action, just as Zacchaeus did, when opportunities to draw closer to you present themselves. May we recognize the value of your teachings and prioritize them in our lives. Teach us to stand out in our commitment to righteousness, even when faced with murmurs and judgments from others.

Lord, help us to be like the stable sycamore tree upon which Zacchaeus climbed—a symbol of unwavering faith and a strong foundation in Christ. May we grow tall in our spiritual journey, overcoming any perceived limitations or disabilities with your strength.

We pray for a spirit of celebration rather than judgment within our hearts, rejoicing in the salvation of others. May we, like Zacchaeus, experience the joy of salvation and willingly make amends for any wrongs we may have committed. Please help us to be instruments of reconciliation and restoration in the lives of those we encounter.

Lord, may your Holy Spirit guide us to share the message of salvation with those who have yet to experience your redeeming love. May our lives be a testimony to your transforming power.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Activity

1. Reflection: Take a moment to reflect on areas in your life where you may need to climb the metaphorical “sycamore tree” to get a clearer view of Jesus. Identify opportunities for growth, repentance, or a deeper commitment to your faith.
2. Action Steps:

• Immediate Obedience: Is there a prompt or call from God in your life that you’ve been delaying or hesitating to follow? Take immediate action in obedience, just as Zacchaeus ran ahead to climb the tree before Jesus arrived.
• Acts of Compassion: In the spirit of Zacchaeus’s transformation, consider engaging in acts of kindness and compassion. These acts could involve helping those in need, offering forgiveness, or making amends in relationships.
• Bold Witness: Challenge yourself to stand out in your faith, even if it means facing murmurs or judgments from others. Be bold in sharing the message of salvation and be a light in your community.

May these actions bring glory to God and contribute to the ongoing transformation of your life and the lives of those around you.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Author: Mark Alex   

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

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