“Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus… he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was short of stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” (Luke 19:2-4).

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus. However, the crowd was in the way. [The text says, “he was of short stature.” Does this mean that Zacchaeus was short, or that Jesus was short? The language is ambiguous in the Greek. Most people assume that it means Zacchaeus was short. This seems probable since no other Bible passage indicates that Jesus was short.]

Zacchaeus was determined and would not be deterred. “He ran ahead and climbed up into the sycamore tree to see Him.” [This is probably not the American Sycamore (Plantanus Occidentalis). This may be the Sycamore Fig, a.k.a. Fig Mulberry (Ficus Sycomorus), a tree native to that part of the world. One writer makes this comment, “The Sycamore tree in this text was a fig-mulberry which produced poor fruit which were eaten by poor people. Amos worked with these trees prior to being commanded by God to prophesy to Israel (Amos 7:14).” (Burt Groves, The Gospel According to Luke, p.197)]

Thought Questions

1. How are we using God’s creation? In Jericho, a Sycamore tree was used to see Jesus. In Eden, the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil was used to rebel against God (Genesis 3). Our bodies can be used as instruments of righteousness or as instruments of unrighteousness (Romans 6:13).
2. How determined are we, and how much effort are we willing to make to see Jesus? Think of the efforts some made. (1) Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a tree. (2) Nicodemus came to Jesus by night (John 3:1-2). Was this after a long day at work? Was this out of fear of being seen? (3) Four friends carried a paralytic man to Jesus (Mark 2:1-4). They were not deterred by the crowd. They even broke through a roof and lowered their friend to Jesus. (4) A woman with an issue of blood came to Jesus and touched his garments (Mark 5:25-27). She did so even though she was considered unclean (Leviticus 15:19-30) and was probably ostracized by society. (5) Parents brought their children to Jesus and were not deterred by certain disciples who rebuked them (Mark 10:13-16). (6) A blind man named Bartimaeus refused to remain silent, when Jesus passed by, but begged for mercy (Mark 10:46-50). He was not deterred when “many warned him to be quiet” but he “cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!'”(7) Peter said to Jesus, “See, we have left all and followed You.” (Mark 10:28). Jesus answered, “Assuredly, I sat to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time – houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions – and in the world to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30). In other words – it is worth the cost, whatever you give up to follow Jesus. (8) Consider what Paul said, “I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…” (Philippians 3:8-ff).