Daily Devotional

Zacchaeus was a short man ... so short was he that could not see over the crowd when Jesus was walking by; hence the reason for him climbing into a tree. Zacchaeus was also a tax collector. He was rejected for being a tax collector — firstly, because he was collecting taxes for the Roman government, so he was a social outcast. Second, he was an outcast for treating the people unfairly. But, Zacchaeus was more than just a tax collector — he was the chief tax collector, and a very rich man.

But Jesus loved him. And to Zacchaeus, that was all that mattered that day. So deep was his desire to meet Jesus that he climbed a sycamore tree to see Him. Did Jesus ignore him? No. You see, when you have a desire and a passion to seek Him, His Word says that you will find Him.

Well, Zacchaeus found Jesus that day. And he received Jesus joyfully into his home. When Jesus called him he hurried down from that sycamore tree, took Jesus home and there they dined together.

Here are a couple of facts you can learn from Zacchaeus:

1. Zacchaeus ignored people when they tried to bring him down. When Jesus comes to dine with you, you are made a new creation in Him. Everything old and dirty is thrown away.

2. Jesus was not concerned about what the people said either. Mankind will try to remind God of their own faults and the faults of others. When you are washed in His blood old things are passed away; God has no idea what you are talking about.

No matter what view point you take, when Jesus meets you, your life is never the same again. Did you meet with Jesus today?