Luke 19:1-10
“He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 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.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
For me, the most tender part of this story is that, with everything going on and the large crowd gathered, Jesus sees Zacchaeus in the tree, calls him by name, and invites himself over to his house. Being seen, approached, engaged, and chosen changes Zacchaeus. Just being in Jesus’ presence somehow makes him see his life differently. All his striving, earning, swindling, and accumulating suddenly seem meaningless. “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” Jesus does not come to Zacchaeus and say, “If you repent, I will come to your house.” He simply engages—and it is in the presence of Jesus that Zacchaeus’ eyes are opened, and he sees what truly matters, what he has done, and what he must do. The generosity of Jesus—seeing and engaging a social outcast—leads to an overflowing of transformation, repentance, and reciprocal generosity.
We don’t know what compelled Zacchaeus to go and see Jesus, but whatever it was, it was strong. When he couldn’t see because of the crowds and his short stature, he ran ahead and climbed a tree! As a kid, that sounded perfectly normal - we climbed trees all the time - but now, as a 46-year-old, I know that’s not normal. He was compelled, and he didn’t care what it took to see Jesus.
This story challenges me to run and climb—to find ways to be in Jesus’ presence despite the obstacles of my daily life. I’m a father of five, and both my wife and I work full-time in high-demand roles. The to-do lists are endless. It’s easy to drift away from intentionally living a life connected to and filled with Jesus and His Spirit. I can easily realize, on a Wednesday afternoon, that I’ve basically been a practical atheist for the last three or four days—working with my head down, getting things done, caring for my family and clients—yet disconnected from God.
Advent is an invitation to remember that Jesus is returning, but He is also here now—with me, and at work in the world. It’s a call to renewed urgency and priority. We have a toddler and teenagers in our household. I see urgency on display every day - whether Toby (the toddler) has to have another bowl of cereal or his favorite train, or Jane (14 years old) has to go horseback riding tomorrow! They’re equally obsessed, persistent, and focused on what they want and have to have! Just like Zacchaeus, they are compelled. What would it look like for my daily practices to be equally compelled - with that same energy - to see Jesus?