Come Down at Once

Luke 19:4 · Fresh Start: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn

“So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.” — Luke 19:4 (CEB)

Picture this: a wealthy regional official hiking up his robes and sprinting through the streets of Jericho. People who owed him money, people who resented him, people he’d exploited — all watching the most powerful tax collector in the district scramble up a tree like a child.

Zacchaeus sacrificed his dignity to seek Jesus. That detail matters. Genuine seeking always costs us our composure. It means admitting we don’t have what we need, that our self-sufficiency has limits, that we’re desperate enough to look foolish.

We resist this. We’d rather seek quietly, privately, in ways that don’t risk our reputation. We’ll read the book but won’t join the group. We’ll listen to the sermon but won’t ask the question. We’ll watch from a distance but won’t climb where people can see us.

What would you be willing to look foolish for? The answer to that question reveals what you value most. Zacchaeus valued finding Jesus more than protecting his image. That undignified climb was the most honest thing he’d done in years.

God, free us from the need to look composed while we’re seeking you. Give us Zacchaeus’s willingness to sacrifice dignity for encounter. Amen.