Come down Zaccheus

Do you ever get times in your life when you are feeling small and vulnerable? Have you every felt that you are not worth very much in the eyes of those around you? Does it sometimes seem that even your best is not good enough for those around you? You are not alone.

The Bible talks about a man who had just these feeling. He was a man who lived in the city of Jericho. This man worked for the Roman government and was looked down upon by the residents of that city. Because he worked for the Romans they thought him to be a traitor and a theif. This man was called Zaccheus. He wasn't a thief, he was just trying to do the best he could.

When Jesus came to Jericho Zaccheus wanted to see him, but he couldn't. You see Zaccheus was a short man. In order to get a view of Jesus, Zaccheus ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree, just to get a glimpse of the Lord.

Strange things happened that day that Zaccheus never had guessed. The man that the world looked down upon, Jesus sought to honour. Rather than going with the people in Jericho what were thought to be important, Jesus stoped under the sycamore tree, looked up and said, "Zaccheus, hurry up and come down, for today I must stay at your home" (Luke 19:5). The people in the crown were incensed. What was Jesus doing? Didn't He know who this man was? Why was Jesus bothering with Zaccheus when there were far more suitable people to stay with?

These people did not understand who Jesus was and what He was about. Jesus didn't come to be with the mighty in this world. He didn't go to Jericho to be entertained by those of high position. To use Jesus' own words, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost" (Luke 19:10).

Nearly two thousand years have passed, but things remain the same. There are still people who are too willing to look down on those they consider less than themselves, and Jesus' goal is still to seek and save that which is lost.

You may feel small and insignificant. The world may looked down upon you but Jesus doesn't. Just as He said to Zaccheus He says to you, "come down, for I must stay at your house." Jesus knows the troubles we go through and He wants to help. Why don't you let Him? Jesus doesn't look at the stature and position of a person, he looks at their heart and desires salvation for them.

"Come to Me, all who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest" Matthew 11:28