God’s Tree Climbers By Phillip Catterton (Kansas)

Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”   LUKE 19:5 (NRSV)

Zacchaeus was a wealthy tax collector, who also happened to be short in stature. His wealth could buy him access to many things, but a front-row seat to see Jesus wasn’t one of them. Instead, Zacchaeus had to resort to climbing a tree in order to catch a glimpse of Jesus. To me, even the thought of clambering up a tree trunk is more than a little scary. Yet Zacchaeus was willing to risk perhaps a futile climb and personal embarrassment for the chance to see Jesus. Jesus asks us to come to him with the innocence of a child. (See Matt. 18:3.) No wonder that when Jesus saw Zacchaeus in a tree, he immediately offered to pay him a visit. As a result, Zacchaeus’s life was changed: He gave to the poor, made restitution to those he had cheated, and, most importantly, received salvation. Jesus came to seek and save the lost — and whether we are up a tree or lost in the woods, I take comfort in the fact that Jesus longs to rescue us. Whenever I feel unsure or embarrassed about the next step God is calling me to take, I remember Zacchaeus. If he was willing to take a risk just to see Jesus, how much more should I be willing to risk following the Master?

TODAY'S PRAYER   Father God, grant us the courage and humility to seek your son, even when it seems risky to do so. In Jesus’ name. Amen.