The final letter in this book is not for a single verse, but for the story of the notably short man named Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector who was generally disliked among just about everyone of his day. Because of his diminutive stature, he is remembered for the fact that he climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus as he passed by. Jesus knew he was up there in that tree, however, and called to him to come down because he was intending to visit Zacchaeus at his house.
Jesus’ visit to his house that day changed Zacchaeus’ life forever. He renounced his selfishness and thievery, and he vowed to pay back fourfold what he had taken from others illegally. In addition, he chose to give half of everything he had to help the poor. God was able to use him to work out His plan, just as He used David in Old Testament times, despite his colossal failures.
We’ve all made mistakes; we can take heart from so many stories of redemption in the Bible. It doesn’t matter how much we feel we fall short of the mark; in Christ, we are enough. He takes our flaws and our mistakes with everything that we are, and weaves together each of our lives and stories in such intricate ways that we can’t fathom, and yet occasionally, we get to catch glimpses of the beauty He is creating. We don’t have to climb a tree to meet Jesus as Zacchaeus did; He meets us wherever we are.