Lost & Looking

In Luke 19, we meet a man who is lost. What we do not know is how he got lost, when he got lost, or how long he has been lost. But it is obvious that he is lost, and he KNOWS he is lost.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and someone who was seen as a traitor to his own people. He was lost, but he was comfortable. There wasn’t anything or anyone better than the money he was making by scheming his way through his job.

Then, one day, some prophet and miracle worker that he had heard about was coming to his town, Jericho. The crowds were lining the street, and he wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Something had felt off in his life, and he wondered if this guy, Jesus of Nazareth, really could be the Messiah like some people had said.

Zacchaeus had two problems. The first was that he was a short little dude. I don’t know how short he was, but the Bible makes a point to say that he was too short to see over the crowd. The second problem was nobody really liked Zacchaeus, so it isn’t like he can just ask the people to move over so he can get a look at Jesus.

But that did not stop Zacchaeus! Something caused him not to give up but to do something a little ridiculous for a rich guy like him; he climbed a tree. Imagine someone like Jeff Bezos climbing a tree to get a look at some homeless guy from another town that people were excited about. The whole scene is just ridiculous.

See, Zacchaeus may have been lost, BUT he was looking. Looking for something more to fill the emptiness that all the money had not solved.

Are you lost?

Are you looking?

Are you looking for Jesus?

What is standing in your way from seeing Jesus for who He truly is?