Whenever I read the Christmas story I’m always amazed at the variety of people who recognized and welcomed Jesus (Mary and Joseph, shepherds, Simeon and Anna) – all rather ordinary people in Israelite society. And then came the wise men, who were Gentiles!
As the Gospel stories unfold, it’s the ordinary and often insignificant people who seem to be most welcoming of Jesus, and also the most thankful.
Jesus always makes time for those who are looked down on by others – particularly the sick, those who are outcasts, and even foreigners who are in need. He certainly talks with the rulers in society – the Scribes and Pharisees and even Roman leaders and others in authority. Yet He also sees the unseen; the seemingly insignificant and ordinary people going about their daily lives. In other words, He sees those like you and me.
Jesus saw Zacchaeus
Luke’s Gospel tells the story of Zacchaeus. He really wanted to see Jesus. Yet he had a lot of difficulty actually accomplishing his wish on the day that Jesus passed through Jericho.
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short [little] stature [age]. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.
Luke 19:1-4 (NKJV)
There are two main reasons Zacchaeus had difficulty seeing Jesus. Firstly, it wasn’t so much because he was short and couldn’t see over the crowd, but rather because the crowd saw him as insignificant, and wouldn’t let him through. Generally, the word translated “short” refers to age rather than size, suggesting that he could have been relatively young, rather than short in stature. Someone who was young would have been easily brushed aside.
Secondly, Zacchaeus worked for the Roman Empire as a Chief Tax Collector, and was very wealthy. His fellow-citizens describe him as a “sinner” (verse 7). Tax Collectors were known for collecting more tax than they were supposed to, and then keeping the extra amount – and that’s how they accumulated their wealth. But mostly they were hated by their fellow-Jews because the tax they collected represented their subjugation to the Roman Empire.
So not only was Zacchaeus viewed as insignificant, he had the stigma of working for the ‘enemy.’ Therefore, he would have been largely excluded from society.
But Jesus didn’t pass Zacchaeus by. He did not think of him as insignificant. In Zacchaeus, Jesus did not see a tax collector. He did not see any stigma. He did not see the wealth he had gained. He actually saw Zacchaeus.
And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
Luke 19:5-6 (NKJV, emphasis added)
Jesus sees you
What if Jesus said he was coming to have a meal at your house today? What would be your first thought on hearing this news? Would it be horror, or delight?
The thing is, in coming to have a meal at your house, Jesus doesn’t care about the state of your house or the behavior of your family. He doesn’t care who you work for or what you’ve done. He sees you, and He cares about you, just like He saw Zacchaeus.
Notice that Jesus is the one who initiates the interaction with Zacchaeus. And He actively comes to seek and save (or make whole) (verse 10). Like Zacchaeus, we just have to respond – to whatever it is that Jesus is asking of us today.
For Zacchaeus, welcoming Jesus into his home revolutionised his life. Not only was he was restored to the community of God’s people, but his priorities were radically transformed. His whole life was completely reoriented towards God, and he would never be the same.
Everything changes when we say yes to Jesus!
