Luke 19:2&4 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy….So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
There is an unquenchable thirst for the truth in the heart of everyman. Even the most cruel and coldhearted long to be set free from deception and lies. No one is born a criminal or a convict. Circumstances and wrong choices make them crooks. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end (Ecclesiastes 3:11). The desire to know the truth is hidden in the hearts of the wayward and the wrongdoers. However, arrogance, pride and callousness stop them from accepting the truth and reality.
Zacchaeus had a “eureka moment” when he heard that Jesus was in the town. He was the chief of the tax collectors. Tax collectors were not just government employees; they were ‘turncoats’. They were Jewish traitors who worked for the Roman government and collected an outrageous amount as tax with huge bribes. Tax collectors were hated by the people and considered as despicable sinners and Zacchaeus was the ringleader of the thieves! He was a short man so he climbed up a tree to see Jesus.
Symbolically to be enlightened we must climb on higher grounds. Stepping aside to self assess will separate the truth from deception. The view is clearer from the mountain top and God will meet us there. Jesus stopped at the sycamore tree to meet with Zacchaeus. One encounter with Jesus turned the duplicity and fantasy into reality for Zacchaeus.
Encounters with Jesus will make us real and authentic:
1. Enlighten: Trying to assess or understand by wallowing in the mess will not help. Stop talking about injustice, bigotry and pain. Stop arguing and justifying and climb higher. The Creator-God will meet us when we take time to climb up the prayer mountain and drive-out deception. God’s presence enlightens us to the truth.
2. Expose: The presence of Jesus exposed the mistakes of Zacchaeus and humbled him. 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”(vs 19). Zacchaeus returned by 4 times which was over and above the requirement in the Old Testament (Leviticus 5:16). Exposure to the truth made the greedy looter generous.
3. Empower: Jesus empowered Zacchaeus, the turncoat, to turn around to the truth. We don’t have to hide our weakness and mistakes or live in duplicity. Jesus will empower us to not only be enlightened but also to stand for the truth.
When you are confused with commotion, condemnation or crisis, when baffled with blame, climb higher to meet with The Truth, to understand the truth and live the truth. Encounters with Jesus make us real and authentic.
John 14:6a Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, give me the wisdom to step aside into my prayer closet to delineate deception from the truth. Amen.
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