In Luke 19:1-10, we can read about Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus in the city of Jericho (Note: means ‘place of fragrances’). Zacchaeus means ‘innocent’ and he was a leading tax collector who was small in stature and longed to see Jesus, who was surrounded by a large crowd. Because of his size, Zacchaeus decided to run ahead of Jesus and climb a sycamore tree to see Him.

 

When Jesus saw him, He told Zacchaeus to come down from the tree quickly because He wanted to visit him in accordance with the Father’s will, which is clear from Jesus’ statement that He must visit him (cf. Luke 19:5 i.c.w. John 5:19).

 

Luke 19:5:
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’

 

John 5:19:
19 Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

 

 

Hidden in the encounter with Zacchaeus is a revelation that enriches us on the path of faith in our spirit man. This is about the power of God’s salvation (Note: Jesus), which enters the realm of praise represented by Jericho => ‘place of fragrances’ (cf. Exodus 29:25) and activates the potential of purity and humility which is represented by Zacchaeus in order to bring about the moment of God’s visitation in the future through expectation.

 

The reason for this is that Zacchaeus went ahead of Jesus to meet Him. In doing so, Zacchaeus decided to climb the sycamore tree, which was different from the movement of the people who surrounded and accompanied Jesus. The people walked alongside Jesus, while Zacchaeus climbed the tree and thus saw Jesus from a higher level. He used his hands and feet to do this. In this ascent and later descent of Zacchaeus, one can also recognize the application of the spiritual principle of the ascent and descent of angels, like how Jacob saw them ascending and descending on a ladder in a dream (cf. Genesis 28:12).

 

Genesis 28:12:
12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

 

In addition, a tree also played a significant role in Nathanael’s life when Jesus met him and spoke to him about the ascending and descending of the angels of God in connection with His presence (cf. John 1:51).

 

John 1:51:
51 He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on” the Son of Man.’

 

This is the application of worship that leads us, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, into a higher spiritual realm that ushers in the Father’s moment, which results in a visitation (cf. John 4:23-24).

 

John 4:23-24:
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks.
24 God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’

 

 

Through our devotion and our desire for the Lord, we contribute to entering into a higher spiritual view and light, as vision, because Jesus looked upwards to Zacchaeus in the tree and it can be assumed that the people who accompanied Jesus also looked up to him (cf. Luke 11:34a i.c.w. Psalm 36:9).

 

Luke 11:34a:
34a Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. …

 

Psalm 36:9:
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

 

Thus, speaking in a spiritual context, Zacchaeus was enveloped by much ‘light’. It is no coincidence that Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus was preceded by the healing of blind Bartimaeus (Note: means ‘son of high praise’) and that the importance of talent management by Jesus is mentioned after the encounter with Zacchaeus (cf. Luke 18:35-43; Mark 10:46-52 i.c.w. Luke 19:11-27).

 

This reveals to us how important it is to worship the Father in spirit and in truth with the right spiritual perspective, which takes place through the influence of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, just as the apostle Paul mentioned to the saints in Ephesus (cf. Ephesians 1:17-18).

 

Ephesians 1:17-18:
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, …

 

Furthermore, Zacchaeus’ temporary sojourn in the sycamore tree points to the knowledge in the application of the Word of God as a living, powerful, sharp two-edged sword, resulting in spiritual fruitfulness (cf. Hebrews 4:12).

 

Hebrews 4:12:
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

 

=> This finds its justification in the fact that the fruit of the sycamore tree, if left untreated, remains small in size and is not edible. However, if the fruit is cut with a sharp object such as a knife shortly before harvesting, the gas ethylene is released. This gas helps to stimulate the growth of the fruit, causing it to increase tenfold in size within three days. <= (Note: The text set in “=>” is based on an explanation from Strong’s Concordance to the sycamore tree with the word key number G4809).

 

It is faith that increases in us as we hear the truth of God’s Word and apply it to our lives (cf. John 14:21 i.c.w. Romans 10:17).

 

John 14:21:
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.’

 

Romans 10:17:
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message [Note: word], and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

 

 

Thus, Zacchaeus climbing the tree represents the purity of heart with which we enter into a higher realm of the spirit within the center of truth, which is akin to worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth with enlightened eyes of the heart. And it is the identity of Zacchaeus – ‘innocent, pure’ that entitles us to ascend higher into the presence of God, which requires purity of heart and hands (cf. Psalm 24:3-6).

 

Psalm 24:3-6:
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Saviour.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.

 

Since the profession of a chief tax collector of Zacchaeus is mentioned in the Word of God, this points to going higher with the economy (Note: profession, work) entrusted to us by God, which undergoes the process of sanctification due to the redemptive presence of God’s forgiveness and love in Jesus Christ. This sanctification process results in voluntary restitution being applied to the area where ‘robbery, fraud, deception’ is present.

 

In connection with the restitution of Zacchaeus, the number ‘4’ takes on a meaning that opens a new door of opportunity to show mercy (cf. Luke 19:8).

 

Luke 19:8:
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘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.’

 

The number ‘4’ is linked to the Hebrew letter ‘Daleth’, which means, among other things, ‘door, wing of a door’ and is depicted as ‘an open tent door’.

 

Zacchaeus’ willingness led to the atmosphere in his house changing from deceit to redemption and mercy (cf. Luke 19:9-10).

 

Luke 19:9-10:
9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’

 

After Zacchaeus had obtained salvation for his house through his voluntary efforts to make restitution, Jesus continued His way to Jerusalem and spoke in the form of a parable about the administration of the talents (cf. Luke 19:11ff.).

 

Luke 19:11-13:
11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
12 He said: ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return.
13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. “Put this money to work,” he said, “until I come back.”

 

Based on the division of the preceding and subsequent events in the Gospel of Luke in connection with Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus, the call is to worship the Father in spirit and in truth with enlightened eyes. It is God’s will for us to step into a higher realm of the economy and, after sanctification, to assume responsibility according to the principle of faithful stewardship of the values entrusted to us by God – spiritually and naturally.

 

We know from the parable mentioned above that it is only faithful stewardship that leads to multiplication and blessing. Faith does not allow resignation or a false view of the nature of God, who is happy to entrust us with even more if we boldly go forward in faith (cf. Luke 19:26).

 

Luke 19:26:
26 ‘He replied, “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel Glimm