To Seek and Save the Lost

Pastor Harlow examines the familiar story of Zacchaeus through a fresh lens in Luke 19:1-10. While we often focus on the tax collector’s determination to see Jesus, this passage reveals a deeper truth: Jesus was already seeking Zacchaeus before Zacchaeus ever climbed that sycamore tree.

The story unfolds in three movements. First, we see Zacchaeus thinking he is the seeker, going to great lengths to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Then comes the stunning reversal when Jesus calls him by name, revealing that God has been pursuing him all along. Finally, we witness Zacchaeus’s transformative response through genuine repentance, generous restitution, and joyful hospitality.

This encounter reminds us that every conversion story is ultimately about God’s grace reaching down to us. Christ came “to seek and save the lost,” and this mission drives every divine encounter, including our own.