1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:1-10
I’ve read and talked about the story of Zacchaeus more times than I can count. But, you know, something hit me differently about it today. I realized there’s a part of Zacchaeus’s story we might not always focus on enough. Sure, we all get the big picture—his faith, his change of heart, and the whole amazing transformation bit. But what I felt nudged to share in today’s thought is the joy. Yes, joy. The kind of joy that Zacchaeus felt when Jesus noticed him, of all people.
Imagine Zacchaeus for a second. Not exactly the guy you’d want as your next-door neighbor, right? He’s been messing around with people’s money and isn’t the most liked person around. But then, Jesus, of all people, singles him out. That recognition from Jesus just broke through everything. For the first time in who knows how long, Zacchaeus felt welcomed by someone genuinely good. And it’s not just about being noticed. Zacchaeus knew—really knew—that Jesus was the real deal. The King. The Messiah. His reaction? Pure, unadulterated joy. Because he was in the presence of God, and his life was about to take a whole new direction.
So, what does that mean for us? How do we react when we hear about Jesus and what He’s offering us? Do we jump up and down with excitement? Does the thought of His love make us want to be better, to live more like Him, just because we’re grateful for His grace? I’ve been chewing on these questions today and I hope you’ll join me. Let’s find that joy again—the kind that comes from knowing Jesus and walking the path He’s laid out for us, together.
T H E O P H I L U S 
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