OUR Lord Jesus was journeying towards Jerusalem, where He was going to die for us.
On the way He came to Jericho, and passing through it, numbers of people followed Him, and when He came out of the gate there was quite a crowd of those who wanted to see Him.
There was one man who specially wished to catch sight of Jesus, but he was such a short man that he felt sure he would not be able to see Him in the midst of the crowd.
So thinking about what he should do, he saw before him a low tree which could be easily climbed.
This pleased Zacchaeus very much, for now he made sure that he should see this wonderful Man whom everybody was talking about.
Zacchaeus was a chief of the Publicans, and was very rich; but he was not thinking about his riches just then, but just about seeing Jesus!
He did not know that that sight of Jesus, and that look from His holy eyes, and the cheering words which He would utter, would completely change the whole of his life!
So he sat on the bough of the sycamore tree, and looked to see Jesus come through the gate.
At length He came, among the thronging multitude pressing round Him, and Zacchaeus thought he was quite hidden by the branches, and that no one would think of his being there!
But when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said to him: "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy house!"