«So, he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way»(Luke 19:4).
ZACCHAEUS, A «SON OF ABRAHAM» (Luke 19:9)—that is, a Jew—»was a chief tax collector» (Luke 19:2) and therefore hated by his fellow Jews.»His rank and wealth were the reward of a calling they abhorred, and which was regarded as another name for injustice and extortion. Yet the wealthy customs officer was not altogether the hardened man of the world that he seemed. Beneath the appearance of worldliness and pride was a heart susceptible to divine influences. Zacchaeus had heard of Jesus» (White, The Desire of Ages, ch. 61, p. 552) and he was anxious to see Him. That man of short stature ran out to meet the Master. He could not afford to go walking, since adrenaline accelerated his steps in his search for hope. He wanted to find a solution to his vile existence.
Going faster than the crowd, he managed to get ahead of everyone, but he could not see because he was too short. Then, «by coincidence»—if coincidences exist—he saw a sycamore tree. Perfect! He could climb up on it, knowing that Jesus would pass by that exact location. Sycamore trees, native to the Middle East and to North Africa, have a certain similarity to fig trees, to which they are related. Their trunk is wide and their roots are thick and often exposed on the ground. Their wood is so resistant that the Egyptians used it to make sarcophagi. This primitive tree was crucial for Zacchaeus because, by having branches almost at ground level, it allowed anyone, even a small child, to put his or her feet on them, as if they were steps, to climb up the knotty and wide branches and sit on one of them.
Nothing happens by chance. God puts in our path the instruments that we need for conversion, and in exact proportion to our needs. Not just any tree would serve the purposes of Zacchaeus, but that one, precisely the one that was there, was perfect. Jesus went by the sycamore tree that day to take salvation to that Jewish chief of tax collectors for Rome.
What about you? Have you discovered the sycamores of your life? Have you already realized what made-to-measure instruments God has put in your path so you could put your feet on them like steps?
What do you think about giving thanks today for them and trusting fully that He will continue providing for you?
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Take From: Daily Devotions for Women’s 2020
«One Day at a Time»
From: Patricia Muñoz Bertozzi
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Magda Sanz T
