Luke 19:8-10
And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Just in the previous chapter, the rich young ruler had chosen his riches over an opportunity to follow Jesus. He had come earnestly and sincerely in his desire for eternal life, but in the end he went home grieved because his riches had such a powerful hold on him. After this occurs, Jesus comments about how difficult it was for those with riches to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples are kind of shocked by this statement, wondering who could be saved. But Jesus responds that anything is possible with God.

As if to prove this true, Jesus heads next to Jericho and encounters Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector who was curious about Jesus. Perhaps through deceit and dishonest gain he had accumulated his riches. Perhaps in his greed he had neglected to show compassion to the poor. Perhaps in his pursuit of wealth he had lost focus on who he was. And perhaps prior to his time in that sycamore tree he hadn’t cared much for God or what God would want him to do. But when Jesus comes to him where he is, his heart is changed. It is as if God is saying, “See, I told you it wasn’t impossible, not for Me,” when the most unlikely person is graciously saved. Zacchaeus immediately repents and seeks to right his wrongs and to go forward into a new life.

No one is a lost cause where God is involved. No one is beyond His power to save. No one is too far gone so as to be out of reach of His grace and mercy. He seeks the lost, and He does so diligently and persistently. He wants people to be saved and to have new life. He offers this precious gift to anyone who would respond to Him. Everywhere we go, there are lost people who need a Savior. It is not impossible for anyone to come to Christ. Scripture proves that over and over. The testimonies of believers prove that over and over. So let’s not give up on anyone. God certainly hasn’t. Let’s continue to pray for lost friends and neighbors, to share the Gospel and tell others about Jesus. And let’s continue to love the lost as Jesus does, believing and trusting Him to do what only He can to change a heart and a life.