FOUND ON THE EDGES

I was in the middle of the crowd at a motorcycle show. Riders were doing all kinds of exciting and dangerous stunts—but I found myself needing to stand on my tiptoes to see. Glancing around, I saw three kids perched in a nearby tree, because they also couldn’t get to the front of the crowd to see the action.

Watching the kids peer out from their tree-top view, I couldn’t help but think of Zacchaeus, who Luke tells us was a wealthy tax collector (LUKE 19:1). Jews thought of tax collectors as traitors, hating them for working for the Roman government and collecting taxes from fellow Israelites. They also made a habit of demanding extra money for themselves. So Zacchaeus probably wasn’t popular in his neighbourhood!

As Jesus passed through Jericho, Zacchaeus wanted to see Him but was too short to get a good look from the middle of the crowd he found himself in. So he climbed into a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse (V.3). And it was there, on the outskirts of the crowd, that Jesus searched him out and announced He was going to be a guest at Zacchaeus’ home (V.5).

Zacchaeus’ story reminds us that Jesus came to “seek and to save the lost,” offering His friendship and the gift of salvation to anyone (VV.9-10). Even if we feel lonely or pushed to the ‘back of the crowd’ like Zacchaeus, we can be confident that Jesus finds us even there.

Thinking it over . . .

Have you been pushed aside by friends or family? Do you struggle with loneliness or feeling left out in any way? In what ways has Jesus found you and invited you to spend time with Him?