Lessons from Zacchaeus: Are You the Crowd or the Tree?

The story of Zacchaeus is a familiar one. The tax collector wanted to see Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd that had gathered. So he climbed into a sycamore tree. When Jesus passed by, He looked up and said, “Come down, Zacchaeus, for I’m going to your house today.”

And Zacchaeus’s life was never the same.

The story is a wonderful one of Jesus’s forgiveness, of His willingness to come to sinners. And one day I realized that it also juxtaposes the two kinds of people non-believers come into contact with: the crowd or the tree.

Just bare with me for one moment.

Luke 19:3 says, “And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.” The crowd blocked Zacchaeus’s view of Jesus. No one seemed willing to give him a little space or allow him at the front. Maybe they were too concerned about their place in the crowd. About their place to see Jesus. Either way, they were blocking someone willing to meet Jesus, someone searching for Him.

But the tree lifted Zacchaeus up, helped him to see Jesus. And that’s what non-believers need.

While Jesus didn’t need the tree to know Zacchaeus was there, the tree helped Zacchaeus get a glimpse of the Jesus. And that played a part in Zacchaeus’s story. Such an important part that the Bible makes a point of not only mentioning the tree but what kind it was.

But even when Zacchaeus met Jesus, the crowd “murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” (Luke 19:7). They couldn’t even rejoice that Zacchaeus was in the presence of the Lord because they were too busy judging him.

Takeaway

So let’s be like the tree. Let’s lift others up to help them get a glimpse of Jesus instead of standing in their way. How can we do this? Show some extra kindness, even when it’s inconvenient. Invite someone to church, even if it’s a bit uncomfortable. Ask the Lord to show us wisdom and give us guidance. To open our eyes to see the needs of others.

For more lessons on biblical figures, check out my post What We Can Learn from Paul.