Zac was lost...

Luke 19:1-10 NLT

Jesus entered Jericho and made His way through the town. [2] There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. [3] He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. [5] When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" He said. "Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today." [6] Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. [7] But the people were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled. [8] Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" [9] Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost."

Zac was lost and he knew it.....

....loads of money, but he was "Billy-no-mates", a little scheming sqirt who had hit the wall of emptiness.

People hated him, he had been sucking their earnings via harsh Roman taxes, plus adding his own Zac-tax on top for years.

He lived in a big lonely house without anyone to enjoy it with.

That's when he heard rumours of Jesus coming to town...

This guy was famous for being the friend of tax collectors and sinners...even one of his disciples used to be just like Zac.

"Was there hope for me?" Zac thought.

Imagine, as the crowd pressed around Jesus in Jericho, Jesus' main mission was to meet Zac.

There must have been so many needy people around the Messiah, but Jesus sought out the little squirt hiding up a tree - the one everyone avoided and disliked.

He called him by name. He knew him and saw his hiding place.

The big turnaround took place at that tea time.

The joy of being found by Jesus loosened Zac's purse strings and those people who had been cheated were in for a fourfold bonus!

Realising how lost I am is a great thing and the first step on the road to salvation.

Jesus goes past those who are alright in their own eyes and looks for those who are desperately lost.

My prayer is that people would wake up to their own lostness without the Saviour....

For there is wonderful joy and a big turnaround for those who do... just ask Zac!