I had a vivid image of my youth. Whenever we heard the president was travelling by road near our township, we flocked to the roadside to see him. Often the mass of people flocking to just get a live glimpse of the president were large. consequently, it was not a strange sight to see a few individuals perched up on tree branches and the like. If you could not push through the crowd to get in front, climbing a tree was a second-best option. I may be guilty of that.
Now, the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) certainly strike a familiar code. If anything, Zacchaeus desire to see Jesus was as great as my desire to see the president then. However, the story of Zacchaeus took an unexpected turn. Let’s put it this way, the time my president drove by, if he had stopped and seen me on the tree and called out to me…he would have addressed me as …Hey, come here now! Jesus on the other hand, called the man up the tree by NAME. He said, “Zacchaeus, Come down quickly…”
Many a times we face many challenges, pains, hurts, toils and labors that appear like a vicious cycle of ordinary live. Often it is like our prayers fall on deaf ears and more. Well, the gospel above reminds me that, that is not the case. God knows me/you by NAME. Zacchaeus was a complete stranger, but Jesus called him by name! I can hear, ye of little faith ring in my ears. So even when the going seems tough, look keenly at the obstacles and see the opportunity in them but don’t dwell on them. You are known by God, by your name…so you matter to him and the world at large. Go do good…