“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 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, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 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 any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10, KJV)
Generally when we think of this account with Jesus and Zacchaeus we remember two things: the children’s song, and the short stature of Zacchaeus. However, let me give you three brief points to ponder about this short account. 1) Zacchaeus sought out Jesus. He could have resigned himself to not being able to see, or been disinterested in Jesus’ passing, but he was not. 2) He received Jesus joyfully. He was not hesitant or unhappy to have Jesus interested in coming to his house, it made him happy. 3) He was obedient to the law. This event happens during the days the Law of Moses was still in effect. Zacchaeus’ statement to Jesus about reparations was exactly what the law required him to do.
Do we have the attributes of Zacchaeus? Do we want to see Jesus, who he really is and what he really teaches? Do we receive Jesus joyfully, or are we like others who go away sorrowful? Do we obey the commands of Jesus when we learn what he requires, or do we argue and try to convince people it isn’t important? Which is shorter, our stature or our faith?