Follow My Lead: He Looked Up
Key Scripture: "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." — Luke 19:5 (NIV)
As I continue watching Jesus, I notice something beautiful.
Crowds never distracted Him from individuals.
He was never too busy to stop for one person.
One day, Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho.
The streets were crowded.
People pressed in from every side, hoping to catch a glimpse of Him.
Among them was a man named Zacchaeus.
He was wealthy.
He was a tax collector.
He had a reputation.
Most people knew exactly who he was.
Or at least they thought they did.
Because he was short, Zacchaeus couldn't see over the crowd. So he climbed a sycamore tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by.
Then something unexpected happened.
Jesus stopped.
He looked up.
He called Zacchaeus by name.
"Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
I love that Jesus looked up.
Everyone else had spent years looking down on Zacchaeus.
They saw a dishonest tax collector.
A man who had become rich by taking advantage of others.
A sinner.
Jesus saw something entirely different.
He saw a man created in the image of His Father.
A son who had lost his way.
The crowd saw what Zacchaeus had done.
Jesus saw who Zacchaeus was created to become.
That changes everything.
Notice what Jesus doesn't do.
He doesn't begin by talking about money.
He doesn't begin with repentance.
He doesn't lecture Zacchaeus about honesty.
He begins with a relationship.
"I'm coming to your house today."
Relationship first.
Truth follows.
Not because truth isn't important.
But because relationship gives truth a place to land.
That's exactly what happened.
Grace opens the door.
Truth changes the heart.
Before Jesus ever asked Zacchaeus to change, Zacchaeus' heart began changing.
"Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Jesus never demanded those words.
Love drew them out.
Grace awakened repentance.
That's the way Jesus works.
He doesn't shame us into change.
He loves us into it.
The longer I follow Jesus, the more I realize He isn't intimidated by our "things."
We all have them.
Some are easy to see.
Others are hidden deep within our hearts.
Jesus already knows every one of them.
Yet He keeps inviting us closer.
Not because our "things" don't matter.
But because they are not the truest thing about us.
The truest thing is that we are loved by the Father.
As I watch Jesus in this story, I realize He's teaching me something far bigger than kindness.
He's teaching me how to see.
When I begin seeing people through the Father's eyes, I stop defining them by their worst moment.
I begin looking for the image of God that still lives beneath the brokenness.
I begin believing that grace can accomplish what condemnation never will.
That's the kind of heart I want.
One that notices people.
One that looks up.
One that loves first.
One that tells the truth with gentleness.
One that believes every person is worth stopping for.
Because that's exactly what Jesus did.
Make It Personal
As you spend time with this story today, don't rush.
Simply watch Jesus.
What do you notice about Him?
Why do you think He stopped beneath that tree?
What do you admire most about the way He treated Zacchaeus?
Now think about your own life.
Has Jesus ever looked beyond your mistakes and reminded you who you really are?
Can you think of someone you have been defining by their behavior instead of seeing them as someone deeply loved by God?
Ask Jesus to help you see that person through His eyes.
Not ignoring truth.
Not excusing sin.
But allowing love to have the first word.
Before moving on, sit quietly with Jesus for a few moments.
Watch Him look up.
Listen to Him call Zacchaeus by name.
Then imagine Him looking at you with those same eyes.
Practice Today
Today, look up.
Notice someone others tend to overlook.
Learn their name.
Ask a question.
Listen to their story.
See the person before you see the problem.
Dig Deeper
Luke 19:1–10 — Jesus and Zacchaeus
Romans 2:4 — God's kindness leads us to repentance.
Genesis 1:27 — Every person is created in the image of God.
Ezekiel 34:11–16 — The Shepherd searches for His sheep.
John 3:17 — Jesus came not to condemn the world, but to save it.
The crowd looked down.
Jesus looked up.
May we learn to see people the way our Shepherd does.