Jesus Sees What You’d Rather Hide
Pastor Caleb Culver
August 16, 2026 Message Recap
In Jericho, a wealthy tax collector climbed a sycamore tree like a child, exposing himself to the very crowd that despised him just to catch a glimpse of Jesus passing through town.
Zacchaeus had every reason to hide. He was the chief tax collector in a Roman-occupied city, which meant he was a Jew working on Rome's behalf. To his own people, he was a traitor. He took more than what was owed and kept the difference, leading to his accumulation of wealth.
Even though he had money, power, and status, he lacked a sense of belonging.
In a culture where community was everything, that kind of rejection was not small. Your community was where you worshiped, ate, celebrated, grieved, and raised your family. Being pushed outside it meant losing far more than popularity. It meant losing your place among your own people.
God did not create us to be loved only by Him. He created us to belong to one another, to be known and cared for within community. When we are rejected, misunderstood, or reduced to the worst thing we have done, it reaches somewhere deep.
That was Zacchaeus.
Before anyone saw him as a person, they saw a tax collector. His worst choices made him exactly the kind of person the religious crowd expected Jesus to avoid, but Jesus did not avoid him.
When Jesus reached the tree, He looked up and called Zacchaeus by name.
I think we often assume God relates to us the way people do. We keep people at arm’s length until they have earned our trust, and somewhere along the way, we start to believe God is keeping us at arm’s length, too. We tell ourselves that once we are a little more disciplined, a little less messy, a little more faithful, then we can really let Him close because there is something terrifying about being fully known.
What if He sees all of it and agrees with the worst things we already believe about ourselves?
But Zacchaeus’ story tells us the opposite: Jesus already knew about his worst decisions, and He called him by name anyway.
Being seen like that changed Zacchaeus. He stood up and said he would give half of everything he owned to the poor, and if he had cheated anyone, he would repay them fourfold.
Jesus did not demand that as payment for grace. Zacchaeus simply found something worth more than what he had spent his whole life earning and stealing. The money that had once meant everything suddenly mattered less because he had experienced something better: being fully seen by Jesus and still welcomed close.
Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see Jesus, but Jesus had already seen him.
That is still the invitation for us: stop hiding behind the version of ourselves we think is easier to love and allow Jesus to meet us exactly where we are.
Are you willing to be seen by Him and believe that He still wants to come close?
Scripture References:
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About Radiant Church
Founded in 1996, Radiant Church has grown into a multi-location church committed to biblical teaching, discipleship, and mission.
At Radiant Church, there is an invitation to grow in your spiritual journey, build meaningful community, and truly get connected. We are passionate about helping people grow in faith, encounter the Presence of God, and become part of a church grounded in Spirit and truth.
Here's a 5-day devotional guide based on this sermon:
Day 1: The Courage to Be Seen
Luke 19:1–4 | Psalm 27:8
Zacchaeus was too short to see over the crowd, so he ran ahead and climbed a tree, willing to look foolish in front of the very people who already despised him. His desperation to see Jesus outweighed his need to protect his image. David wrote something similar centuries earlier: “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” Real encounter with God rarely happens from a safe distance. It requires the same willingness Zacchaeus had—to be inconvenienced, exposed, and possibly embarrassed for the sake of getting close to Jesus.
Day 2: Called by Name
Luke 19:5–6 | Isaiah 43:1
Before Zacchaeus said a single word, Jesus looked up into that tree and spoke his name. Of the many people Jesus encountered in the Gospels, very few are named individually, which makes this moment stand out. God has always been in the business of calling people by name rather than by category. Isaiah records the same promise: “I have called you by name, you are mine.” Being known by God was never about earning it. It was always about being found.
Day 3: The Master Behind the Money
Matthew 6:24 | Ecclesiastes 5:10
Zacchaeus had spent his career serving money as a master, extracting wealth however he could and calling it success. Jesus said plainly that no one can serve two masters—God and money included. The writer of Ecclesiastes noticed the same trap centuries earlier: Whoever loves money never has enough of it. Money is not neutral. It either serves you, or it becomes the thing you serve, quietly shaping every decision you make.
Day 4: The Cost That Isn’t a Loss
Matthew 13:44 | Mark 10:21–22
Jesus told a story about a man who found treasure so valuable that he sold everything he owned, not with reluctance but with joy. Zacchaeus lived that parable out in real time, giving away half of his wealth the moment he recognized who was sitting at his table. Compare that to the rich young ruler, who walked away sad when Jesus asked him to do the very same thing. The difference was never the size of the sacrifice. It was whether each man had actually found the treasure worth it.
Day 5: Salvation Has Come to This House
Luke 19:8–10 | 2 Corinthians 5:17
Jesus did not just forgive Zacchaeus privately. He declared, in front of the very people who despised him, that salvation had come to his house. That declaration changed everything about how Zacchaeus would live, give, and be remembered. Paul later wrote that anyone in Christ is a new creation, the old life gone and a new one begun. Whatever old master used to define you, Jesus is still in the business of walking into your house and rewriting the story.