God’s Redemptive Love

Luke 19:2-5

“2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”

Zacchaeus was a short man.  He was also a very hated tax collector.  Not only was he a tax collector, but he was the chief tax collector.  

For some reason, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus.  But the people would not let him in front of them as they lined the streets.  So Zacchaeus, being resourceful, ran down the road and climbed into a tree, above the crowd.

I imagine the crowd had a good laugh about making the rich tax collector climb a tree. All they could see when they looked at Zacchaeus was a short man, a tax collector, a sinner.  When they looked at him they saw all the reasons for their own anger.

But Jesus looked up into the sycamore tree and saw a child of God who was worthy of God’s love.  And Christ invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home.  And the love of Christ did what all the anger in the world could not do; it changed Zacchaeus..

Christ looks at us, even the worst of us, and sees a child of God.  No one is beyond the redemptive love of God.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier