Luke 19:1-01 Zacchaeus was a tax collector - a member of a group of people that were thoroughly hated by the Jews. These were Jews who collected taxes for the Roman government. Their wages came from whatever they could cheat their fellow Jews out of. Zacchaeus was a very short man and more than likely the feeling of power that he had as a tax collector helped make up for that. There are many things that the story doesn't tell us, but judging from Zacchaeus' behavior and Jesus' response, something was taking place in this tax collector's heart. It would certainly have taken more than curiosity to make this man swallow his pride and climb a tree in order to see Jesus. He may not have understood all about it, but he did know that no price was too high, and no sacrifice was too great to make to get what Jesus had. Out of the great crowd that was milling around, Jesus saw Zacchaeus. He didn't see a short man to feel sorry for. He didn't see a tax collector that needed reforming. He didn't see a comic spectacle that would get a good laugh. Jesus saw a man whose heart was ready, who wanted to see and know more, who knew that where he was going was not where he wanted to be, who was willing to go to whatever lengths that were necessary to get what he wanted. Jesus stopped what He was doing, reached out to the man and went to his home - it changed the man's life. Jesus still recognizes hearts that are ready. People that are tired of their own thing which has never really worked and see in Jesus a glimmer of hope go after it. If that is you - Jesus will meet you right where you are.

Jesus Recognizes a Ready Heart