Just A Squirrel Tryin To Get A Nut

Picture by Caprice Miller

 

“When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”   Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.” – Luke 19:5-6

As I looked at this picture I was so taken by the contrast of the grays and browns of the tree against the bright blue sky that I almost missed the furry little guy in the middle.  I’m the kind of person that enjoys watching squirrels scamper around.  I watch how they interact with each other and I laugh at how they seem to enjoy tormenting the dogs at times.  Looking at him I’m reminded of lyrics in a song – “It’s your world and I just a squirrel tryin to get a nut.”  (Everybody Dance by Bob Sinclair)  This little guy also reminds me of a guy mentioned in the book of Luke – Zacchaeus.  In a way you could say he could probably have related to those song lyrics too.  He may have thought of himself as “just a squirrel tryin to get a nut” although his means were not very honest. 

 The Bible tells us that Zacchaeus was the head tax collector in the region of Jericho.  He was basically working for the Romans and taking money from his own people, the Israelites.  And to add insult to injury, he was known to be very dishonest about it and took much more than he should.  Needless to say, he was not a favorite person among the people of Jericho.  But in spite of his transgressions, there was something in him that obviously stirred when he heard Jesus was passing through the town.  It was such a stirring that it caused him to run ahead of the crowd and climb a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus for himself.  For a man of his position this was an extremely undignified thing to do.  You know that it must have been REALLY important to him to see Jesus if he went to such undignified means to do so.  Perhaps this undignified activity is what drew the attention of Jesus to him.  In the verse above we see that Jesus stopped, looked up in the tree, called him by name and then proceeded to invite himself over to the guy’s house for dinner. 

It’s important as your read the Bible to slow down sometimes and really consider what is being said.  As I slow down here I have to ask,

·         How did Jesus know his name?  He just came into town. 

      ·        And if he knew his name, wouldn’t He also know that he was not an honest man? 
      ·         Why wouldn’t Jesus choose the house of a nice, hospitable person to go to? 
      ·         After all, what would people think?

What I then realize is that this is Jesus.  Why wouldn’t he know the name of Zacchaeus?    He knows all.  And yes, He knew the little guy was a notoriously dishonest man.  And yes, He could have gone to the house of any nice, hospitable person.  And of course, he knew this choice would not be popular among the gossipers – the Pharisees. (Those that thought themselves to be more appropriate host of the “nice and hospitable” nature probably) This was not the first time Jesus encountered this reaction.  We see in Matthew 9 another occasion He decided to befriend a tax collector – his future disciple, Matthew.  Jesus response to the Pharisees who asked the disciples, “…Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” – Matthew 9:11 was this:

 “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” ¹³ Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” – Matthew 9:12-13

 We are all sick in some way, shape or form.  But too many times we don’t recognize our illness.   Zacchaeus knew he was sick and that he was doing wrong.  When we sin, when we are wrong, we instinctively know it too.  There are times when we would like to ignore it and pretend it’s not there, but the reality is that we know what is wrong and we also know that God knows.    If we allow ourselves to pause we also realize that Jesus is passing by in our own lives.  We know we want to get a glimpse of Him, but that transgression in our lives seems to get in the way.  We even convince ourselves that we are too sick or too messed up to see Him anyway.  But if can choose to climb above that sin, that transgression, that wrong in our lives we can discover that Jesus already knows all that.  He also knows our name and He still wants to come into our house and spend time with you. 

As you continue to read in Luke 19 you see that because of his encounter with Jesus Zacchaeus became a changed man.  He determined to correct his wrongs and give back four times as much as what he had taken.    That’s what happens when we humble ourselves enough to recognize the sickness in our lives and choose to spend time with Jesus.  We can experience healing and restoration of that relationship with Him that leads to amazing life change.   And really, you don’t even have to climb a tree – Jesus sees you already and knows your name. That’s how truly special you are to Him.