Small Beginnings, Eternal Endings

The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Luke 19:10

Tax collectors have never been popular. In Jesus’ day, Jews who collected taxes for the Roman government were seen as traitorous and corrupt by their fellow countrymen.

Zacchaeus was one such tax collector. He was small in physical stature, and smaller in the eyes of his countrymen because of his loathsome job.

However, Jesus saw in Zacchaeus what other people missed: a curiosity for the things of God.

And as J. C. Ryle comments, God often works in small ways to accomplish great things.

WALK WITH J. C. RYLE
“The ways by which the Holy Spirit leads men and women to Christ are wonderful and mysterious. He is often beginning in a heart a work which shall stand for eternity, when an onlooker observes nothing remarkable.

“In every work there must be a beginning, and in spiritual work that beginning is often very small.

“Do we see a careless brother coming to church and listening to the gospel after a long indifference? When we see such things, let us remember Zacchaeus.

“Let us not look coldly on such a person because his motives are at present very poor and questionable. It is far better to hear the gospel out of curiosity than not to hear it at all.

“Our brother is with Zacchaeus in the tree! Who can tell but that he may one day receive Christ as joyfully?”

WALK CLOSER TO GOD
It may be difficult to see how salvation can result from a man climbing a tree.

That’s because you see a man in a tree, but God sees a man lost and searching.

Before you write off a Zacchaeus near you, take another look—this time through the eyes of Jesus.

Those whom the world would label “little” have a way of appearing much larger when seen from the perspective of the seeking Savior.