AN APPOINTMENT WITH A "TAX MAN" -- Devotional for April 16, from "Goods Seeds"

Zaccheus said, “half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and those I have defrauded I will repay fourfold.” Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:8-9).

Zaccheus was a household name when I was growing up, at least in the households of us children who went to Sunday School, for that’s where we learned to sing, “Zaccheus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he; he climbed up in the sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.” Children readily identify with Zaccheus, for several good reasons: 1) He was a small man, possibly no taller than a school child. Kids could feel on an equal plane with him. 2) He climbed trees. What kid doesn’t like to do the same! 3) He wanted to see Jesus. Growing up in this godless society young people soon pick up the terrible habit of using God’s name in vain – which is worse yet when they profane the precious name of our Savior, “Jesus Christ.” But when children are small, and are introduced to Jesus, they easily learn to love “Him whom they have not seen, and yet believe” (John 20:29). Oh the faith of a child! – there’s not a doubting Thomas in the lot of them! Even the most callused infidel will find his heart softened when he hears a little boy or girl sing, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so; little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me.” Well, this crusty little scoundrel of a man, who was despised by his handlers as much as he was hated by his victims, suddenly found himself drawn to Jesus – even though he surely knew a meeting with this Man would spell the end of his lucrative ways. By the way, that’s just what the rest of the Sunday School song is about: “And when the Lord came passing by He looked up in the tree, and He said (and here’s the part we shouted with divine authority!): “Zaccheus, you come down! For I’m going to your house today.” He was not only hated by others for the “legalized extortion” which was his daily business; surely he loathed himself, too. Wouldn’t such a one as this fear the frown of heaven and run as fast as his short legs would carry him in the other direction when he saw Jesus coming? You’d think so, but somehow he knew Jesus would not speak condemnation, but instead be his salvation. Indeed, Jesus was heard to say at another time and place, “I am come that they might have life in all its fullness” (John 10:10). But in this very time and place, in the hearing of Zaccheus, Jesus proclaimed, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Next time you want to lambaste the “legal thievery” of the creators and enforcers of unjust taxation, why not pray instead that they have a face to face with Jesus!