Zacchaeus the Tree Climber

Zacchaeus had the finest house in all of Jericho. It was full of gold. It was empty of friends.

Every morning he watched the town from his window. Every morning, the town did not watch back.

Zacchaeus was the tax man. When you had a coin, he took it. Sometimes he took two, and kept one for himself.

Nobody waved at Zacchaeus. They turned their backs. 'There goes the coin-taker,' they whispered.

Zacchaeus pretended he did not mind. But his heart felt as empty as a cracked old jar.

At supper, his long table had room for twenty. It held one bowl, one cup, one lonely Zacchaeus.

He had everything money could buy. So why did the richest man in Jericho feel so poor?

Then one morning, Zacchaeus heard a sound he had never heard before. The whole town was... cheering?

Out in the street, people poured from every house. Something wonderful was happening.

'Jesus is coming!' they called to each other. 'Jesus - who heals the sick and loves everyone!'

Zacchaeus knew that name. People said Jesus was kind to anybody. Even people nobody liked.

'Even... me?' Zacchaeus wondered. He had to see this Jesus with his own eyes.

So Zacchaeus did something he never did. He ran - straight toward the crowd.

But the road was packed tight. The people stood shoulder to shoulder, like one thick wall.

Zacchaeus was small. All he could see were elbows, backs, and more elbows.

He jumped up high. Nothing. He jumped again. Still nothing but backs.

'Please,' he asked, 'may I come through?' But the people only squeezed closer together.

'Move along, coin-taker,' a man said. 'Why should we let YOU see Jesus?'

Zacchaeus stepped back. The crowd was a wall - and he was stuck on the wrong side.

He almost gave up and went home. Then he looked down the road... and his eyes went wide.

A great sycamore tree grew beside the road ahead. And Zacchaeus had a wonderful idea.

He ran! Past the crowd, down the road, as fast as his short legs could carry him.

The sycamore tree was enormous. Its branches spread out wide and low - perfect for climbing.

Zacchaeus looked at his fine robe. Tax collectors did not climb trees. But today, he did not care!

He grabbed the lowest branch and pulled. Up he went - one branch, two branches, three!

Leaves in his hair and dust on his robe, Zacchaeus climbed higher than ever before.

At last he found the perfect branch. From up here, he could see the whole road!

He peeked through the leaves. The crowd was coming closer. Soon he would see Jesus!

His heart thumped like a little drum. He had never, ever waited for anything so much.

Then the crowd reached the tree. And there, right in the middle, walked Jesus.

Zacchaeus held his breath. There he was - Jesus, real and close, right below the tree.

Then something surprising happened. Jesus stopped walking. Right under the sycamore tree.

Slowly, Jesus looked up. Up, up, into the leaves - straight at Zacchaeus.

'Zacchaeus,' said Jesus. He knew his name! 'Zacchaeus, come down.'

Zacchaeus pointed at himself. 'Me? You want little me - the coin-taker?'

Jesus smiled the warmest smile. 'Hurry down. Today I am coming to YOUR house.'

The crowd began to grumble. 'Why his house? Zacchaeus isn't a good man!'

But Jesus did not look away. He kept looking up at Zacchaeus - as if he truly mattered.

Zacchaeus scrambled down so fast he nearly tumbled, and landed with a happy thump.

He stood face to face with Jesus. Someone had picked him - and his empty heart began to fill.

Right then, Zacchaeus knew something. He did not want to be the greedy coin-taker anymore.

'Listen, everyone!' he cried. 'Half of all my gold - I will give to the poor!'

'And if I ever took too many coins from you, I will pay you back four times over!'

Jesus's eyes shone. 'Today,' he said, 'God's love has come to this house.'

That night, Zacchaeus's long table was not empty. It was full - of food, of friends, of Jesus.

The people of Jericho saw him a new way. Not 'the coin-taker.' Just Zacchaeus. Their friend.

Zacchaeus was still the smallest man in Jericho. But tonight his heart felt bigger than the whole town.

His fine house was full at last - not with gold, but with love. And Zacchaeus was never lonely again.