by Throughout the Gospels, Jesus was known for sharing meals with people – so much so that his critics labeled him a “drunkard and a glutton” and “a friend of all the wrong people.” Luke’s Gospel, in particular, records numerous instances of Jesus eating with others, showing how breaking bread together was central to his ministry.
In Luke 19:1-10, we encounter one of the most memorable meal-sharing stories: Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus. As Jesus was passing through Jericho (yes, that Jericho from Joshua’s famous battle), he met a man who would forever be remembered for two things: being short and climbing a tree. Poor guy – immortalized in a children’s song as “a wee little man,” Zacchaeus’s physical stature has overshadowed his bigger story of transformation.
Who Was Zacchaeus?
Zacchaeus wasn’t just any tax collector – he was a chief tax collector, sitting at the top of what you might call an ancient pyramid scheme. He got rich by taking advantage of his fellow citizens, employing others to do the dirty work while he reaped the benefits. No wonder he wasn’t exactly popular in his community!
But something about Jesus caught his attention. Perhaps he’d heard that one of Jesus’ disciples, Matthew, was also a tax collector. Maybe he’d learned of Jesus’ reputation as a friend to tax collectors and sinners. Or possibly he’d heard Jesus’ parable in Luke 18 about the tax collector and the Pharisee, where surprisingly, the tax collector was the hero.
The Tree That Led to Salvation
Unable to see Jesus through the crowd (being vertically challenged has its downsides), Zacchaeus did something rather undignified for a wealthy man – he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree. Picture Danny DeVito scrambling up a tree trunk, hoping nobody notices!
This wasn’t one of Indiana’s towering sycamores, but rather a short, scrappy tree related to the fig family – kind of like Zacchaeus himself. When the crowds wouldn’t make way, creation stepped in to help, much like other biblical instances where nature aided God’s purposes (think Balaam’s donkey or Jonah’s whale).
A Life-Changing Encounter
Jesus spotted Zacchaeus and did something unexpected – he invited himself over! The crowds were scandalized: “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man” (Luke 19:7). But Zacchaeus’s response was remarkable. He promised to give half his possessions to the poor and pay back four times the amount to anyone he had cheated – even more than the restitution required in Exodus 22:1.
Jesus declared, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:9-10). At Jesus’ table, Zacchaeus found both salvation and belonging.
The Challenge for Us
The story presents us with a choice: Will we be like the crowds who complained and blocked access to Jesus, or will we be like the sycamore tree, helping others see Him? As Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus never gives up on those who remain open to God, even when others have written them off. Like Zacchaeus, whose love for God expressed itself in love for others, we’re called to both vertical and horizontal relationships – loving God and loving our neighbors.
The Son of Man still seeks and saves the lost today. May we, like that short but significant tree in Jericho, help others get a better view of Jesus – even if they have to climb over us to do it.
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Daniel N. Lee 