Embedded Files
http://www.raysfiginfo.com/sycomore.html
The Day Jesus Invited Himself For Dinner
The Sycamore tree is a type of fig tree. But it is much bigger than what we call the “common fig” tree. As children we used to cut the skins of Sycamore figs with a razor blade while they were green, and then come a few days later to eat them, otherwise they would not taste nice. The fruit taste different from the “common fig” but can be just as delicious.
Here is the story of Zacchaeus:
Luk 19:1 Then [Jesus] entered and passed through Jericho.
Luk 19:2 Now behold, [there was] a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
Luk 19:3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
Luk 19:4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that [way].
Luk 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
Luk 19:6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
Luk 19:7 But when they saw [it], they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
Luk 19:8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."
Luk 19:9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
Luk 19:10 "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
When I was about 12 years old we were living in a village in the Nile Delta, called El-Santa. My father was the vet for this village and the surrounding area. We were considered upper class in this village, even though we were barely managing. My older two brothers were having lots of scuffles with other teenagers during their high school years. The other teenagers belonged to some wealthy families who had farms and real estate.
My father knew the police would not do anything and was at a loss as to what to do.
Because my father was a bit of a poet, he used to be asked to compose poetry for special occasions, such as the retirement of high ranking government officials.
As a result of this he struck up a friendship with the governor of our province. His position was considered to be a very high one. I knew how high later.
My father shared with him the problem and the governor decided not to talk to the police or pull any strings. He said to my father that he would come to pay us a visit in our house. This would send a message to every one to stop harassing my brothers.
Sure enough, some weeks later, the main street of our village was cleaned. Everyone knew that the governor was coming to our house. On the appointed day, early in the morning, people started to fill the main street. They were on the roof tops. They filled the trees. Police were everywhere. I could not believe my eyes. That day I asked myself, “Where did all these people come from?” The whole population of our village would not account for a fraction of the people there that day.
The news must have reached surrounding villages and the people came to get a glimpse of the governor. When I looked from the balcony I could only see people. The shops disappeared, the houses disappeared, just people, people everywhere.
As I began to read the story of Zacchaeus some years later, I remembered the scene of the governor’s visit. I always wondered how Jesus managed to spot Zacchaeus amongst this sea of people. How and why did he single out Zacchaeus? Everybody wanted to see Jesus.
I can assure you Zacchaeus was not the only one up this fig tree. This kind of fig tree provided the best seats at that time, but to Zacchaeus it came at a cost.
Have you tried to spot someone you know in a crowd? It is like that poster “Finding Wally. It is difficult enough to spot someone you know in a crowd. How much more difficult to spot someone you do not know!
When I looked from the balcony the day the governor visited us, all I could see were faces. I knew many people in my small village, but I could not see them.
It was many years later that I had my question answered. It was about eight years before I read of another incident where another sea of people was involved, yet Jesus noticed only one person:
Mar 5:25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
Mar 5:26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
Mar 5:27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind [Him] in the crowd and touched His garment.
Mar 5:28 For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well."
Mar 5:29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in [her] body that she was healed of the affliction.
Mar 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"
Mar 5:31 But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' "
Mar 5:32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
Mar 5:33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
Mar 5:34 And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."
I would just like to quote the same incident as recorded by Luke:
Luk 8:43 Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,
Luk 8:44 came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
Luk 8:45 And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those with him [fn] said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' " [fn]
Luk 8:46 But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me."
Luk 8:47 Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
Luk 8:48 And He said to her, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
This woman was healed before Jesus knew who she was or what was wrong with her. Power went out of Jesus to heal her.
So if I want to borrow the language used in the story of the woman with the “bleeding problem”, and use it in the story of Zacchaeus, Jesus would come near the Sycamore tree and stop and say to the disciples: “Someone is looking at me.” And Peter and those with him would say to him: “Everybody is looking at you!” But Jesus would say something like this: “Somebody is looking at me because I feel a tug in my heart and it is pointing up there”. Then Jesus would look to where Zacchaeus is. And Jesus told him to hurry up and come down.
But let me tell you this. Even if Zacchaeus had not found a Sycamore tree to climb, but had stood on his toes behind the crowd, wanting to see Jesus, Jesus would have called him still. Jesus would have been drawn to that ‘beggar’ who wanted to know who Jesus is.
Humility Is The Best Seat In The House
As I was growing up in the Middle East, I also wore the same dress Zacchaeus wore. It is a kind of long loose dress.
If you wore one of these and then tried to climb a tree you would soon realize how difficult that is. To be able to climb a tree you have to gather this loose dress and tuck it in your underpants, or tie it around your waist in a knot or hold the end of it with your teeth. To do any of these things, Zacchaeus had to expose part of his lower body.
It takes a great deal of humility to do that, to humiliate himself in such a way in front of every one was not a small thing. Zacchaeus did this before he could even climb one metre up the Sycamore tree.
But that is not all. As Zacchaeus climbed, he became more and more visible to more and more people. Then he sat there waiting. Some people must have laughed at the lengths he went to, just to have a look. To get a better view of Jesus, Zacchaeus must have kept on creeping along toward the end of the branch. Now he had the best seat in the house. It came at a cost. But he thought Jesus was worth it.
Unlike a man called Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), who was a religious leader and went to see Jesus by night, so that no one would notice him, Zacchaeus made a spectacle of himself to see Jesus.
Unlike a man called Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), who was a religious leader and went to see Jesus by night, so that no one would notice him, Zacchaeus made a spectacle of himself to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus put himself out on a limb, physically and spiritually. Jesus noticed.
Jesus said to Zacchaeus: "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
Jesus said “I must”. It is the same word used in verse like Mat 16:21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”
Zacchaeus’ behaviour left Jesus no room but in his house. Zacchaeus never dreamt of Jesus’ reaction, but this is how generous and faithful God is. God is no man’s debtor. As it is written, “the affirmation of Jehovah -- Far be it from Me! for he who is honouring Me, I honour” (1Sa 2:30) YLT
And “For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (Isa 57:15) NASB
And “The LORD [is] near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Psa 34:18 NKJ
And "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isa 66:2) NASB
When you see God you put yourself in dust and ashes. When you put yourself in dust and ashes God sees you.
Dear reader, apparently Google does not allow comments on websites like mine.
However, if you email me your comments, I will publish them under this article.
Just click on my email address and type away. Thanks.
The fig Farmer
Google Sites
Report abuse