The Man Who Climbed a Tree to See
Luke 19:3a · Fresh Start: When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
“He was trying to see who Jesus was.” — Luke 19:3a (CEB)
Luke doesn't say Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. He says Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. There's a difference. One is curiosity about a celebrity. The other is a question about identity — and it usually surfaces when our own identity isn't working anymore.
Zacchaeus had wealth, power, and position. He had everything his system rewarded. And something was still missing — something urgent enough to make a dignified man run through the streets and scramble up a tree.
We all have versions of this. The career that looks perfect from the outside but feels hollow at 2 AM. The life we built according to plan that somehow doesn’t fit anymore. The nagging sense that there’s something we’re supposed to be looking for but can’t quite name.
Pay attention to your own climbing today. What are you really seeking underneath the surface of your daily routine? The restlessness might not be a problem to solve. It might be an invitation to notice.
God, when restlessness stirs in us, help us recognize it as seeking rather than failure. You put the hunger in us that only you can satisfy. Amen.