"Today I Must Abide at Thy House."The Story of Zacchaeus.

The four gospels of the New Testament are filled with little stories. The language is often so succinct that we sometimes pass over them without giving them much consideration. One of these, for me, is the story of Zacchaeus the publican (Luke 19:1-10). The other day I read it with new eyes and I believe I understood it for the first time.

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchæus, which was the chief among the publicans...And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house."

These verses say that Zacchæus was “small of stature” or, in other words, he was short. This detail is symbolic of his low regard among the people. In fact, he was hated by nearly everyone, because he was a publican, a tax collector. But he was a good man, trying his best to live honorably. It must have been hard to be ostracized by neighbors in this way.

Zacchæus wanted to see Jesus, to get to know him, but couldn’t get through the crowd. Being shunted aside like that was probably familiar to him. So he did the only thing he could think of. He climbed into a tree. He wouldn’t get to interact with Jesus that way, but at least he could see him as he passed by.

His climbing into a tree was a very symbolic act. Jesus is the tree of life. Jesus was crucified on a tree. Zaccaeus being in a tree represents that his heart was in the right place, that, though disregarded by everyone around him, he was doing his best to follow Jesus. And Jesus noticed! “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said...Zaccaeus, come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”

If you ever feel small, worthless, and overlooked, try to remember that there is one who will never overlook you. He paid too high a price to ever forget you. Jesus' great love for us is memorialized in a hymn:

Dear to the heart of the Shepherd,
Dear are the sheep of his fold;
Dear is the love that he gives them,
Dearer than silver or gold.
...
See, the Good Shepherd is seeking,
Seeking the lambs that are lost,
Bringing them in with rejoicing,
Saved at such infinite cost.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for each and every one of us. We matter to him. His only purpose is to bless us. He demonstrated it with infallible proofs in Gethsemane and on the cross.