And you don t have to run a marathon or pitch in the World Series to know what it means to sweat under the weight of a heavy load, ache after endless hours of backbreaking effort, or shed a blue tear after heartbreaking disappointment to understand the emptiness of defeat. If you had asked that question to Zacchaeus at the beginning of our story, the answer would have obviously been, No. He was a fine shell of a man with a very blue tear. He had position and wealth, but he had an emptiness that compelled him to climb up a Sycamore tree in search of something more. The scene in Jericho that day must have been like it is here when a celebrity comes to town.
People seek proximity to greatness.
Maybe we hope it will rub off on us somehow. Anyway, the Bible makes it clear that quite a crowd had gathered to see and touch Jesus and that a great divine exchange happened between the little man in branches of the tree and the Lord who knew his emptiness. What happened to Zacchaeus was a transformation that might be depicted by media today like the man who drank the Gatorade. So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. Zacchaeus was not only joyful and exuberant, he was aware.