An Unexpected Guest

<p>Zach was a lonely guy. When he walked down the city streets, he could feel the hostile glares. But then his life took a turn. Clement of Alexandria, one of the church fathers, says that Zach became a very prominent Christian leader and a pastor of the church in Caesarea. Yes, we&rsquo;re talking about Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:1&ndash;10).</p> <p>What prompted him to climb the tree? Tax collectors were perceived as traitors because they heavily taxed their own people to serve the Roman Empire. Yet Jesus had a reputation for accepting them. Zacchaeus might have wondered if Jesus would accept him too. Being short in stature, however, he couldn't see over the crowd (v. 3). Perhaps he climbed a tree to seek Him out.</p> <p>And Jesus was <em>seeking</em> Zacchaeus too. When Christ reached the tree where he was perched, He looked up and said, &ldquo;Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I <em>must</em> stay at your house today&rdquo; (v. 5). Jesus considered it absolutely necessary that He be a guest in this outcast&rsquo;s home. Imagine that! The Savior of the world wanting to spend time with a social reject.</p> <p>Whether it&rsquo;s our hearts, relationships, or lives that need mending, like Zacchaeus we can have hope. Jesus will never reject us when we turn to Him. He can restore what&rsquo;s been lost and broken and give our lives new meaning and purpose.</p>