When Zac was a young boy he wanted to be a top athlete, the fastest in his country, to win the gold medal at the Olympics one day. Actually he was a natural athlete being blessed with strong arms and legs and his parents were very proud of him. Whenever it was school sports day they would go along and watch with pride as Zac cleaned up. Although he was the shortest in his class he could beat anyone in the school in a race, even the older kids. He just focussed hard on the finishing line and ran at top speed, arms and legs pumping like bees wings. He looked a bit funny but he always finished first and it made him feel good. Zac loved to imagine himself lining up in the 100 metre final at the Olympics, hearing the crowds cheer him on as he tore down the track, lifting his arms in the air as he broke the tape and doing half a dozen back flips with everyone shouting his name as he went up to collect the gold medal.But things began to change for Zac as he got older and went to high school. This was mainly because Zac didn’t grow tall like the other boys, and the other kids would tease him about it. He prayed every night to God that he would grow as tall as the other boys but nothing changed. Eventually Zac grew angry with God about it, and what’s more he couldn’t be bothered with people either. He became a bit of a loner at school and couldn’t wait to leave as soon as he was allowed. He decided he was going to make it in this world on his own.
So he left school at 15 and started up his own business with the same determination that he used to win races when he was a kid. And it didn’t take long before he was making a lot of money and a name for himself. As his wealth grew, he began mixing it with top businessmen and government leaders and he would get invited to all the best events, be in the news quite a bit as well. But Zac grew to be a hard man, and most people didn’t like him. He didn’t have any true friends and Zac wasn’t happy. Although he would go to the top holiday destination by the lake in his private boat and moor up the boat outside his big bach on the waterfront, he would go there alone. One day while on holiday he looked out the window from the top deck and saw the fishing boats go by. Fathers and sons fishing together, working hard but enjoying themselves. Zac felt empty as he watched them. He’d trade in his life for theirs he thought even though they were poor at least they were happy. He began to remember his childhood with his mum and dad when they went camping. Things were simple back then, but they were happy times. He had plenty of friends, a mum and dad who loved him and his dream of winning the gold medal.
Zac went home from his holiday more depressed than ever! Back to work at his prime office in the city, back to his lonely life. One day at the office as he was working through his budgets and checking his bank balance, he heard a real commotion outside. The sound of a crowd shouting, the noise was getting nearer and louder. Zac couldn’t concentrate, and he got a bit annoyed at the noise. He could hear the crowd shouting a name but couldn’t quite make it out. That reminded him of when was young dreaming of people chanting his name at the Olympics so with some curiosity, he went to the window to look out, but couldn’t see from the ground level who they were shouting for. Zac went outside and tried to get a look over the people’s heads but he was too short to see. “Jesus, Jesus over here” he heard them shout out. “Oooh” Zac’s eyes opened wide. This is that famous man everyone is talking about, who has been doing great miracles all over the country, I want to see him! Zac quickly looked around, there was a great big tree nearby. “I can still climb that” he thought to himself, so he ran over fast as he could and shot up the tree quick as a cat. From the very top he could see Jesus just a few metres away. Jesus suddenly looked up at him straight in the eye. And to Zac’s surprise called out to him, “Zacchaeus!”
“Wow, how do you know my name!!!” Zac exclaimed “Am I in trouble?” Zac said. Zacchaeus is what my mum used to call me when I’d really done something wrong he thought.
“No Zacchaeus” Jesus laughed “quick come down for I am going to be a guest in your home today”…
What about you, have you lost your way like Zac? Jesus has been looking for you. He wants to be a guest in your home today!
