Have you ever climbed a tree? I watched Eddie climb our tree. He loves to do this just for fun, and he can scramble up fairly quickly.
It reminded me of a man in the Bible who once climbed a tree. His name was Zaccheus, and he was a short little man. He climbed a tree for a different reason than Eddie does. Zaccheus wanted to see Jesus, who was coming along the road in the middle of a crowd of people.
But when Jesus came by the tree where Zaccheus was sitting, He looked up at him and said, “Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” And he did just what Jesus told him to do.
Zaccheus was a sinner, just like you and me. But before the day was over, Jesus said to him that salvation had come to him. This meant that Jesus had forgiven all his sins, and someday he would go to heaven to live with Jesus.
Boys and girls, Jesus knows all about your sins, but He wants you to come to Him. He is calling you just like He called Zaccheus. He wants to come into your heart and live with you until He takes you home to heaven. Won’t you make room for Him and tell Him now that you would like Him to be your Saviour? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
You may read the story of Zaccheus for yourself in your own Bible in Luke 19:1-101And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 8And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 9And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:1‑10).
ML-06/18/2000