Seeker and Saver of the Lost

DON’T WE ALL LOVE TREES! ZACCHAEUS LOVES THAT SYCAMORE TREE BY JERICHO ROAD; THE WAY ITS LEAVES CLOTHE IT WITH BEAUTIFUL COLORS; THE SOLACE OF THEIR RUSTLING IN THE WIND. ITS BRANCHES ARE A PLACE WHERE A THINKING MAN CAN ESCAPE, PLAN A NEW WAY TO FAME AND FORTUNE. ZACCHAEUS SEEMS TO BLEND INTO ITS BRANCHES AND BECOME ALMOST INVISIBLE TO THE WORLD BELOW. IT’S ALSO A GREAT PLACE TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT JESUS AS HE PASSES BY… WITHOUT BEING NOTICED BY HIM. BUT SOMETIMES TREES ARE NOT SO GOOD; LIKE THE FORBIDDEN ‘TREE OF KNOWLEDGE’ IN THE GARDEN. TRUTH IS, ZACCHAEUS DOESN’T WANT TO BE NOTICED BY JESUS OR ANYONE ELSE, MAINLY BECAUSE OF THE GUILT AND SHAME HE LIVES WITH AS A TAX- COLLECTOR FOR THE HATED ROMANS. THE WORLD HAD ZACCHAEUS ‘TREED’—LOST IN THE DARKNESS OF SELF-CONDEMNATION AND FEAR. BUT GOD SAW SOMETHING WE OFTEN MISS—A HEART THAT WAS SEEKING HIS SON… THE SEEKER AND SAVER OF THE LOST.