Sycamore Salvation

August 18

(Luke 19:1-8 NIV) ““Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. {2} A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. {3} He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. {4} So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore–fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. {5} When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” {6} So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. {7} All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” {8} 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.””

(Acts 26:20 NIV) “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

Revelation is a glorious and dreadful thing. It’s a blessing to see that we’ve been on the wrong side of God, but the repentance can be costly. Zacchaeus was not only short in stature -- he was short on his account with God. He climbed a tree to see Jesus, and the rest is history. Another despised tax collector is saved. His determination to see Jesus paid off. Christ came into his home and into his heart. But his genuine repentance had a high cost. He gave away half his wealth and vowed to repay those he had cheated. It was like a vow of poverty. Zacchaeus proved his repentance by his deeds. He called Jesus “Lord”, and then proceeded to behave as if he really believed it. The desire to see Jesus can change our life. Find your “sycamore tree” and do what it takes to rise above the crowd. Respond immediately to Christ’s call and be willing to pay the cost of repentance in your life. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day