“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was…And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:1-3;5-6)
Jesus dared to associate with a notorious sinner. Even in the first century, people didn't want to distinguish between association and endorsement. But let's notice that Jesus doesn't bring up Zacchaeus’ sins. He doesn't have to. Zacchaeus knows he's a sinner. Zacchaeus knows that Jesus knows he's a sinner. Zacchaeus knows that everybody else knows that he's a sinner. But here's what Zacchaeus doesn't know until Jesus calls him down from that tree: he doesn't know that God is a seeking savior.
This is the defining moment in Zacchaeus’ life. The moment that his great searching meets an even greater seeker. And notice, especially in verse five, Jesus says, “I must stay at your house today.” This word “must” carries with it a deep sense of burden and responsibility that is the heart of God for the world. Deep within the heart of the great shepherd of souls is a burden for those who are wandering for what they know not.
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Jesus: The Greatest Seeker Of All