Looked up to?

Luke 19:1-7 NKJV

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. [2] Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. [3] And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. [5] And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." [6] So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. [7] But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."

What struck me today about this narrative - the hated, despised tax collector, Zacchaeus, a greedy little squirt, in the eyes of his people, Jesus stopped, singled him out and, amazingly, looked up to him!

All his neighbours treated him as the lowest of the low, working for the Romans, charging high taxes, taking more than his fair share - looking down on him in more than one way - physically and socially - treating him as an outcast.

To be honest, so would we! Perhaps in the same way as we see our political leaders!

How would we feel if Jesus stopped at Rachel Reeve's "tree-top perch" and asks to go have tea in her house?

I think we'd all feel a bit miffed, wouldn't we?

Well it was tantamount to that!

It was shocking in the extreme, but, equally outrageous to see the miraculous transformation of said "little squirt"!

Instead of money grabbing miserliness, Zac now opens the floodgates of generosity - paying back more than what he had taken!

Now that's salvation's effect on a human - Jesus turns a heart around and makes everything right, new and restored, all because He has come to stay at a person's home, heart and life.

It's no different today, Jesus can turn YOUR life around, make you new and right inside and out.

But, are you seeking to SEE Jesus? Or, most tragically, He doesn't interest you in the least little bit?

Luke 19:8-10 NKJV

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." [9] And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; [10] for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."