February is known for many things—sporting events, quirky holidays like Groundhog Day and National Ukulele Day, Lincoln’s birthday, and, of course, Valentine’s Day! But for all its notable dates, I always think of February as the shortest month of the year—just 28 days long. Despite its shortness, it holds incredible potential for good!
The Bible tells the story of a man whom Jesus saw potential in too—Zacchaeus (pronounced Zak-key-us). Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a career known for its corruption. He used his position to overtax people, pocketing the extra money for himself. He wasn’t well-liked, and on top of that, he was a short man.
When Jesus came to his city, Zacchaeus wanted to see Him but couldn’t because of the crowd. So, he climbed a sycamore tree for a better view. Imagine the scene—Jesus, the sinless Son of God, entering the city and spotting this wealthy, feared, and corrupt man sitting fin a tree like a child. And what does Jesus do? He stops, looks up, and calls Zacchaeus by name:
"Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." (Luke 19:5)
Zacchaeus scrambled down and welcomed Jesus joyfully. But the crowd was not impressed:
"All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’” (Luke 19:7)
This part always makes me chuckle—people didn’t know what to do with Jesus’ unexpected grace and invitation!
I love this story because Jesus saw in Zacchaeus what no one else did. He looked beyond Zacchaeus’ past and saw the person he could become. And how did Zacchaeus respond?
He said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." (Luke 19:8)
That’s amazing! And Jesus celebrates it when he says:
"Today salvation has come to this house… for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:9-10)
No matter what you think you’re known for, Jesus says you are more. He knows where you’ve been and what you’ve done, yet He still calls you by name. He came to seek and save you.
PRAYER:Lord, thank You for loving me as I am and for seeing the person You created me to be. Help me to trust Your plan, let go of what holds me back, and follow You boldly—just like Zacchaeus. Amen.
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