Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector in the first-century Jericho. Out of curiosity, he went to hear Jesus. Because of his short stature, he had to climb a up sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of the Lord.
A sycamore is a sturdy tree with wide-spreading branches. It has a short trunk with low limbs that allow for ease in climbing. The name "sycamore" is Greek for false fig.
A normal fig has soft skin. It is juicy, tasty and sold rather expensively. On the other hand, the fruit of the sycamore tree looks like a fig but its skin is hard. The fruit is inferior to the fig tree and has to be punctured to become edible.
The moment a sycamore fruit is pierced, a breath of fresh air enters it and it will ripen into a soft, sweet, juicy fruit--just like a real fig. So while normal figs ripen on their own, a sycamore fruit will not. They require external intervention.
When Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to town, he wanted to get a glimpse of this wonderful savior. Being a very short man, he climbed up a sycamore tree and hid himself among the sycamore fruits. The whole scene could not be more picture perfect--the hardened sinner among hardened fruits.
People become hard inwardly because of a few reasons: sin (Heb. 3:13), pride (Dan. 5:20), rebellion (Ps. 95:8), and religiosity (John 12:40). Zacchaeus had become hard because of his greed and love for money.
The good news is that Jesus came to him like a skilled farmer of sycamore trees. He came underneath the branches that Zacchaeus was perched on and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house" (Luke 19:5).
Those words flowed out of Jesus' mouth like a double-edged sword and pierced right into the heart of a hardened sinner. The breath of the Holy Spirit enter Zacchaeus and immediately, his heart began to melt and soften.
In that moment, he receive the unconditional love and acceptance of Christ. The Lord says, "Today salvation has come to this house" (Luke 19:9).
Are you cold and hard on the inside? Invite Jesus Christ to come into your life. Let Him pierce your Heart with His word. Give entrance to the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit. With Jesus Christ, the Word and the Spirit, you will be transformed into a beautiful person.
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