Question:What do we learn from Zacchaeus the tax collector?

Answered by: Polly Gwinn, who has been a volunteer with us since October 2004.

Answer: Zacchaeus taught me that Jesus chose me (John 15:16) and came to seek me so that I might be saved (Luke 19:10). If I seek God with all my heart I will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) but I must come to Jesus like a child, humble and not thinking myself great (Matthew 18:2-4). The sycamore tree is a symbol of that place in our lives where and when we have a clear vision of Jesus. I call this the recognition of the power of the Holy Spirit and the yielding to His conviction (John 16:8).

Zacchaeus did not take someone else’s word for who Jesus was and what He was doing passing through Jericho. Likewise I need to study to show myself approved unto God, a workman who needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Not only should I be a Zacchaeus and climb out on a limb to find God, but I should also be a Berean, receiving the message of God with great eagerness and examining the Scriptures every day to see if what those speaking the message is telling the truth (Acts 17:11).