I want to always seek the Lord the way Zacchaeus did. I believe that even Zacchaeus didn’t fully understand the depth and impact of his seeking. Zacchaeus's story in Luke 10 is as unique as his name. God’s word tells us that the human heart yearns for Him; the mystery and completeness in God is a desire of all.
So many persons are often in a place where they see and hear of the goodness of God and never move towards Him but not Zacchaeus, he was a seeker. He wanted to see the man named Jesus for himself. It must have been more than just seeing Jesus with his eyes though, there must have been an unspoken yearning for what He did and said.
People yearn for God daily … they yearn for pain to stop, they yearn for a prayer to be answered, they yearn to be made whole, or yearn for the restoration of joy after loss. We all want to be and feel whole and maybe Zacchaeus was in that space. He heard what Jesus had done for others, he must have heard of the miracles and wonders performed by this fellow Jew and he wanted to see.
That yearning for God never goes away and when we are finally saved, that yearning to be closer and deeper in our relationship with Him doesn't fade.
Can you imagine that in Zacchaeus' desire to see Jesus, to just glimpse his face, he climbed a tree? It reminds me of the woman with the issue of blood who pushed through the crowd yearning to touch the hem of Jesus's garment. From my own experience, I believe that our times of yearning (like Zacchaeus and the woman with the issue of blood) are not times when we feel boldest and most courageous. I believe that they may have had only a speck of faith; a small inkling that this renowned and powerful man MAY be just what they needed. It is the epitome of mustard seed faith. What could Zacchaeus have been expecting sitting up in that tree? To be honest, I don’t think that he was expecting much.
Nonetheless, look at what God does with your speck of desire, with that dot of yearning. Jesus “saw” him!
God sees your unverbalized desire, your small act of seeking, maybe by choosing to go to church this morning, or even choosing to click on the link to this article. It was not by chance that Jesus looked up in that tree, it's not by chance that you are where you are right now and it is not by chance that God intervened for Zacchaeus, as He will for you.
Jesus sees you! He heard you, He knew your desire and He saw you long before you cried out or yearned for Him. You are not the divorcee, failing student, lonely woman, or ex-prisoner that the world sees, but God, the omniscient One, sees your heart.
Jesus called out to Zacchaeus, He called out! Zacchaeus seemed content with a little glimpse, but Jesus called him by his name! Jesus is saying, "You, yes you! You are the one". Zacchaeus had options at that time and so do we. Remember when God called out to Adam in the Garden, that Adam hid?
Some people hear the call of God and they hide, even telling themselves it's not the right time.
Zacchaeus yearned to see Jesus.
Jesus saw him and called out to him.
Zacchaeus responded.
Came down from the tree.
Jesus invited him to come into the fold.
Zacchaeus agreed and repented.
A long time ago, a trending social media meme would have put it this way, "This is Zacchaeus, He answered when Jesus called, Be Like Zacchaeus."
What a fantastic story for Zacchaeus. What an awesome day of repentance and salvation. Jesus came to heal broken hearts and sinful people, who don’t even know that they need Him. In verse 10 of Luke 19, Jesus said that He came to seek and save those who are lost. Without Jesus as our Lord and Savior, people are lost.
You may notice that I didn't mention the part about people’s complaints about Zacchaeus's sinfulness and his lack of deservedness to be called by Jesus because Jesus shut them down quickly. God sees you, even your silent desire for Him and He will welcome you with open arms.
I want a heart like Zacchaeus because I know that what others cannot see; even what I can't see, God sees. God is constantly knocking at our hearts saying “I know it's me you want, you may be turning to relationships but it's really me, you may think it’s more academic qualifications or more money, but it’s actually me you want".
He is saying, "Son, daughter, I’m calling, let me into your heart. I love you, you don’t have to bring anything, you don’t have to give anything, except your heart".
Love Ya!
Krystal Baynes-Hoseinee
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