A Christmas Story?
By Jean Boonstra
One of my favorite verses for this time of year describes Jesus’ mission in coming to Earth as a baby. Luke 19:10 says “”for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”” Jesus met one of these lost men one day in Jericho. His name was Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus strained his neck. He couldn’t see over the heads of all the people!
“I can’t see a thing,” he complained to his wife. “What’s happening, can you see?”
Zacchaeus’ wife moved carefully through the crowded streets of Jericho. Everyone seemed to be outside today. “I can’t see either,” she told her husband. “But I can hear something.”
“What do you hear?” Zacchaeus asked, the frustration rising in his voice. He wished that he could see over the crowds!
“Look,” his wife said, “there’s a spot on that stone ledge. We can see from there.”
Quickly, Zacchaeus and his wife pushed through the crowd to the ledge. From there they could see above the crowd. Zacchaeus lifted his wife onto the spot. But there was no room for him.
“Zacchaeus, what will you do?” his wife asked.
“I’ll figure something out,” Zacchaeus said and walked through the crowd. Ready to give up hope, he spotted a sycamore tree. “I can’t climb a tree,” he thought to himself. “I’m the chief tax collector!”
Suddenly, the crowd became even louder. Everyone started talking at once. Zacchaeus knew that He must be almost here. Jesus was passing by. Without thinking twice, he climbed up into the sycamore tree.
“It’s Him,” he whispered to himself. He could see Jesus and His disciples walking down the street towards him. Reaching his tree, Jesus stopped.
“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today,” Jesus said.
Zacchaeus didn’t know what to say. He climbed down from the tree and heard his name.
“Zacchaeus,” his wife said. “Jesus spoke to you!”
“Yes,” Zacchaeus answered, watching Jesus and His disciples continue to walk along the road.
“Well,” his wife asked eagerly. “What did He say?”
“That He’s staying at our house today,” Zacchaeus answered as if in a dream.
His wife put her hands to her mouth in surprise. “I can’t believe it,” she answered.
Zacchaeus added thoughtfully, “No, he said that he must stay at our house.”
“Must?” his wife asked. “Oh Zacchaeus,” she said a bright smile lighting up her face, “it feels impossible. I’ll run home and arrange everything.”
Jesus found Zacchaeus, a lost man, in the middle of a crowd in Jericho. He came to Earth as a baby to save each of us who is lost.
Listen to the rest of Zacchaeus’ story in Discovery Mountain’s Season 11 called, It’s Possible.
