He was like all of us. He was like some of us. He was like none of us. Who was this strange little man.
You probably have heard about him before. His story is one which seems to claim a special interest whenever it is told.
He was a tax collector for the Romans, He was like none of us because of “his position. He was like some of us because of his size — he was short. He was like all of us because he was a sinner. What was his name?
“Zacchaeus!” Yes, that was it.
How gracious the Lord Jesus was to this little man. He well knew what had happened. He saw him running along the road and climbing up into the leafy tree.
Zacchaeus “wanted to see Jesus.” That was good. But the Lord Jesus saw Zacchaeus, and He wanted to save him. That was better. So it was when the crowd reached the spot where the little man had climbed up into the tree, he heard his name called, as the Lord said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and came down, for today I must abide at thy house!”
We read that he made haste, and he came down and received Jesus joyfully.
His heart was opened, and his house was opened also.
Have we opened our hearts to the Lord Jesus? We may not have a house to welcome Him to like Zacchaeus had. But we have a heart to which He will gladly come if we will invite Him. Then we can place our lives before Him and serve Him.
There were self-righteous people who grumbled when they saw the Lord going to the house of Zacchaeus. They said, “He is gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.”
But the Lord Jesus answered, ‘This day is salvation come to this house.”
He saved Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus rejoiced to serve Him. Has He saved you? If so then, dear reader, may each of us seek grace to serve Him faithfully too.
ML-10/03/1971