Jesus entered into Jericho and began to pass through the city. There was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and he was very rich.
He wanted to see Jesus, but he could not because of the crowds and because he was a very short man.
So, Zacchaeus ran and climbed a sycamore tree in order to get a glimpse of Jesus.
Jesus passed right under the tree that Zacchaeus was in and looked up. Then Jesus said,
“Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down here, for today I am going to stay in your home.”
Zacchaeus quickly slid down the tree and made preparations to receive Jesus into his home. And he did it with joy in his heart.
When the crowds heard and saw what Jesus was doing, they murmured, saying,
‘He is going to stay with a man who is a sinner.’
Zacchaeus stood and said to Jesus,
‘Behold, Lord, half my goods I am going to give to the poor, and if I have cheated any man, I will restore fourfold.’
Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to your house. For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
There was a great expectancy among the crowds that the kingdom of God was about to immediately appear.
