Jesus meets a midget!?!

Luke 19:1-10

New International Version (NIV)

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus at this point in his ministry is rockstar status. He is such a rockstar that people crowd around him where he goes. People wanna get a glimpse and see what all the hype is about. By now the word has spread that he is healing people, performing miracles, and being the coolest laid back dude. Ever. Jesus even had his version of wrecking a hotel room, but only for holy reasons when he upturned the tables at the temples and drove out the animals. He was getting a stadium's worth of people where ever he went.

Zaccheus was a short guy; so short he couldn't get a glimpse Jesus as he was coming down the street. Mobs of people are just as eager to see him. Zaccheus got an idea. He climbed up a Sycamore tree like a kid trying to get a better view of the Fourth of July parade. Zaccheus wasn't a kid though, he wasn't even a commoner. He was the Chief Tax Collector. People knew the stature he held among the people in the crowd.

Zaccheus' tree climbing scheme worked. Jesus noticed him up in the tree and demanded he go to his house to stay. Jesus didn't ask, but demanded that he go to Zaccheus' house and it was to happen immediately. Can you imagine if you met someone you look up to and hold important to, come right up to you in a crowd of choices and demand they come to your house for dinner? Jesus did that. Jesus, like anyone with Rockstar status, had haters, and they questioned why Jesus wanted to go to Zaccheus' house if he was a sinner. Here is the funny part: they were so focused on Zaccheus, they didn't realize their own sinful ways.

Zaccheus was filled with great compassion with the encounter with Jesus. Zaccheus stops and hushes the naysayers giving up half of everything he owned and made a confession to all that were there. Zaccheus knew he had done many people wrong and declared to repay four times the amount he swindled from those he collected from. Seeing Zaccheus' repentance and wanting heart for change told him of the salvation for his house.

The last verse is the best part of the passage. It tells us that Jesus came to seek and SAVE the lost. He came to save us!

Zaccheus was a man of noble status among the people, yet he still knew and had heard of the greatness of Jesus. The people knew that Zaccheus held a position of importance and wealth, that he became that way because he was a crook. He was likely despised by the people for pinching them for all they owed. He was the Ebeneezer Scrooge of his day. He was wealthy, but he was still a loser among the people. Jesus gave him a chance to change his ways and he didn't hesitate for a second. There in the street he righted his wrongs and seeked approval from Jesus.