Zacchaeus Come Down

Crowd full di street. Somewhere for di middle, Jesus dey waka. And up for di branches of one tree, one man hold tight, dey try make nobody notice am. Na di man wey people for di town hate pass.

Jesus dey go Jerusalem, and e dey pass through Jericho, one rich town wey get palm trees and gardens near di Jordan. One man dey here wey dem dey call Zacchaeus. E be chief tax collector, and e rich. For Jericho, everybody know how tax collectors take get money. Dem dey collect money for di Roman government, and plenty of dem dey collect extra for demself. People see dem as cheats and traitors. So Zacchaeus get money, but e no get plenty friends.

Zacchaeus don hear about Jesus, and e want see who e be. But problem dey. Di crowd thick, and Zacchaeus short. E dey jump, e dey stretch, but na only shoulders e dey see. Nobody go give am space. So e do something wey rich, important man no go normally do. E run go front of di crowd, choose one sycomore fig tree for di side of di road, and climb enter di branches. Imagine di picture: rich man inside fine clothes, sit down inside di leaves like small schoolboy. Now e fit see. And e wait.

Di crowd dey come near. Jesus dey come near. And when e reach di tree, e stop. E look up. Zacchaeus, e talk. E know im name. Hurry come down. I must stay for your house today. Zacchaeus almost fall from di tree. E rush come down as fast as e fit, and e welcome Jesus with joy, im face full with smile.

But no be everybody dey smile. People begin murmur for di crowd. E don go stay for house of sinner. Out of all di houses for Jericho, Jesus pick di one wey nobody else go enter. Some of dese people don pay Zacchaeus pass wetin dem owe. Some of dem don suffer lack because of am. For dem eye, to sit down for im table be like to talk say everything wey e don do dey okay. You fit almost hear di doors dey close up and down di street. But Jesus still waka enter Zacchaeus door.

And then Zacchaeus stand up. Maybe na for im own table, with Jesus as im guest. Look, Lord! Here and now, I dey give half of everything wey I get to di poor. And if I don cheat anybody for anything, I go pay am back four times. Nobody tell am make e talk am. Di welcome wey e receive don change am from inside go outside. And Jesus talk, Today salvation don come dis house, because dis man too na son of Abraham. Di Son of Man come to find and to save those wey lost.

Di tree wey Zacchaeus climb no be di sycamore wey you fit know from park for Britain or America. Na sycomore fig, one big strong tree wey dey common for di warm Jordan valley, with short trunk and wide branches wey spread low near di ground. Dat one make am di easiest tree for di town for grown man to climb, and fine place to hide inside di leaves.

Zacchaeus come down. You go find am for Luke chapter nineteen, verse one to ten. Zacchaeus go find Jesus, and e come see say na Jesus don come find am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who dey up for tree for your life, dey wait make somebody call am by im name?