Pastor Aaron Olinski

Would you climb a tree to see Jesus? Not metaphorically, not in some hypothetical Sunday school exercise, but actually hoist yourself up into the branches of a sycamore tree just so you could get a glimpse of Him? That's exactly what a man named Zacchaeus did. And the deeper question for all of us is this: is there anything you wouldn't do to get into God's presence?

Making Room for the Lord

We live in a world full of noise, distractions, and schedules that leave almost no margin. What if we skipped scrolling for a little while? What if those long workouts got shortened up a bit to make time for the Lord? What if, despite your insecurities, you took a step forward and started praying out loud with your spouse and kids, modeling it for them? You could even say up front, "I'm not so sure what this is going to be like because I'm not so confident, but I'm willing to try. Let's do this."

What if, instead of rushing into the hustle of a busy day, you actually got up earlier to spend time with Him and enjoy it?

For me, in my devotional life, I'm an early morning person, so I know I've got to do it in the morning. If I don't, then I'm so tired by the end of the day that I'm worth nothing. I love to kneel on my couch, and now that the weather is nice, I love to go out on my back patio. I'll open up my Bible, have a warm beverage sitting there, and it's just incredible. I'll listen to the birds, watch the sunrise, and I just have this desire to get into God's presence. That longing in my heart for connection is real.

And that's exactly what Zacchaeus was experiencing.

He Humbled Himself Just to See Jesus

Zacchaeus humbled himself so he could see Jesus. He didn't care what people thought. He didn't let his pride or his short stature stop him. He climbed a tree.

And then something remarkable happens. In Luke 19:5, when Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus," He said, "quick, come down. I must be a guest in your home today."

Jesus knew his name. This is so significant. Theologians who study this passage note that we don't know for certain whether Jesus had met Zacchaeus before this interaction. But because the text says He knew him by name, it gives us the understanding that they had not yet met, and yet Jesus already knew him.

That's a big deal. That's a major point in Scripture that we've got to recognize. Some of you need to hear that today. Jesus knows your name. He sees you. He knows your story. He knows your heart.

What Is a Religious Spirit?

In verse six, Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.

The people. Those people. The curmudgeons who always have a rainy cloud over their head, no matter what's happening. It could be a beautiful day outside and they're complaining that it's too sunny. They're negative and critical about everything. And they can wear us out. The constant negativity, the constant criticism, the constant judgmentalism. They're harsh and jaded by life.

What this is, at its core, is a religious spirit. And a religious spirit can be developed over time. Usually it's not people who are new to Christ, because Zacchaeus had excitement and joy. But those of us who have been following Jesus for a while can sometimes develop a religious spirit. We act like our spiritual life is strong, but it's false. It's just a presentation. It's actually based on self-righteousness, more about the demonstration for other people to see than true faith in our lives. It's void of God's heart. And it cripples others in their faith and keeps them from taking steps forward.

The Apostle Paul wrote about these types of people to Timothy, a young pastor. He said, "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that" (2 Timothy 3:5).

The Warning Signs

Do you get jealous when the Lord blesses somebody else? Do you even wish they didn't get blessed because you didn't? Do you have that stirring inside of you? Are you bound by legalism and rule-following? Do you think you're better than other people?

We can get caught in this trap. People with a religious spirit don't get into the Lord's presence, and they actually create barriers so other people can't, either. Zacchaeus had excitement and joy. Those people were disgruntled.

What Does Extravagant Worship Look Like?

In verse eight, meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord. And if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much."

This is an incredible act of worship. This was a rich man. He was probably one of the wealthier people in the entire region, and he committed to giving half of it away. And you can guarantee that he had cheated people on their taxes. He said, "I'm going to make that right."

Now, it's possible that when you read a passage like this, you see this radical generosity and immediately disqualify yourself. You think, "I can't give half of my money away. I can't do that." But here's the thing: money was the barrier for Zacchaeus. That was his specific obstacle. The question for you isn't whether you can match his generosity dollar for dollar. The question is, what's your barrier?

Maybe it's not money. Maybe you're finding ways to cut corners at work, using your expense account for personal things. Maybe your barrier is seeking sexual fulfillment outside of marriage, or blowing up in anger when things don't go your way. Whatever it is, Zacchaeus responded with extravagant worship. That's what's so vital in this passage.

Extravagant Worship Is Happening Today

Things like this are happening all the time. The Passion movement has been going on for decades, where tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of young adults gather right around New Year's to worship and cry out to the Lord with desperation. Or think about Asbury University about two years ago, where a chapel service lasted for two weeks straight. Prayer and worship, 24/7, for two solid weeks. College students, going after God with everything they had. That's extravagant worship.

And it's all over Scripture, too. Zacchaeus was a rich man who gave half his wealth. But then there was the widow who came in and dropped two pennies into the offering, and Jesus said that was extravagant worship. She gave everything. We look at the details and compare ourselves, but we're disqualifying ourselves on so many levels when we do that.

What Step Will You Take?

You can't listen to a message like this. You can't read this passage and not have a response. There's got to be some type of step that you take as a result.

Maybe you need to open up your home and be hospitable. Maybe you need church community. It's possible you need to be a foster family. Maybe you should consider adoption. Fasting is something that should be a regular part of your spiritual discipline. It's extremely powerful, incredibly significant, and not done very often in churches. We need it.

Maybe you feel alone and you need to join a group. Take a step. Maybe you need to join a serve team. A non-serving Christian is a contradiction. There's a place for you to engage with what God is doing and to be part of the community.

And for some of you, the barrier really is money. You're not giving back to God anything. So take a step. Whether it's $20 a week or $50 a week, maybe you're withholding something and you're unwilling to trust the Lord with your finances. Whatever your barrier is, there's probably something. And when we get into God's presence, He changes everything and He changes everyone.

He Sees You for Who You Could Be

Are you wanting to get into His presence? Are you willing to climb a tree? Because He doesn't look at what you can't do. That's not the type of Father He is. Jesus didn't look at Zacchaeus and think about all the things he couldn't do. He saw him for who he could be.

When we experience God's forgiveness, Scripture tells us that He doesn't even look at our past anymore. We as human beings can't do that, but He's divine, so He can.

Right now, Jesus is looking at you. He knows your name. He knows your story. And He's simply saying, "I just want to hang out. I want to come to your house today and be your guest. It doesn't matter what you've done before. I'm going to change all that. I'm going to help you find freedom, and we're going to break through the barriers you're experiencing."

That's what our Savior does in our lives.