God’s love in this scene is moving. It is touching to see the intensity with which Zacchaeus and Jesus look at each other, love each other, and surprise each other. A life changing moment.

Zacchaeus is dishonest, lives consciously in sin and is hated by the people. He is far from God because he is far from himself and from others. Yet, he is thirsty. He feels a strong desire to see Jesus, as he deeply feels his absence. He tries in every way to make room for himself among the crowd, but they block him, they judge him.

The tenacity of Zacchaeus is surprising, he does not give up and eventually climbs a tree in order to be able to see Jesus. Sometimes, without knowing it, we too can surprise God.

Jesus’ readiness to see him first and his ability to tune into those who seek him out because they need him is also surprising.

This single glance of love between Zacchaeus and Jesus is the very essence of God’s love, which goes through mercy: “Zacchaeus come down, I must come to your house” means “Zacchaeus I love you, just as you are, you are fine like this”. God forgives us before we even repent and loves us as we are. When we are in crisis and feel wrong and lost, we can count on his glance to find ourselves and feel loved. Jesus defies the misjudging patterns of a crowd that, while seeking him, turns its back on the lost, the estranged, and becomes a wall instead of a tree. We too can be trees for so many estranged people who experience the same longing as Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus is saved because he chooses to convert, to change.
God does not care about our righteousness so much as our freedom.
Like Zacchaeus we can choose, He loves us anyway.