Everyone possesses some degree of curiosity about life, though it may vary depending on the topic. Have you ever considered how curious you are, particularly about spiritual matters?
The Story of Zacchaeus
In Luke 19:1-10, we encounter Zacchaeus, a wealthy chief tax collector in Jericho. Being short in stature, when Jesus passed through the city, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to see him over the crowd. As Jesus walked by, he looked up, spotted Zacchaeus, and called him by name, inviting himself to Zacchaeus’s home.
Zacchaeus quickly came down and welcomed Jesus with joy. Meanwhile, the crowd muttered disapprovingly about Jesus associating with a “sinner” like Zacchaeus, as tax collectors were widely despised for their dishonesty and collaboration with Roman authorities.
In response to Jesus’s presence, Zacchaeus declared he would give half his possessions to the poor and repay fourfold anyone he had cheated. Jesus proclaimed that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s house that day, affirming his place as a son of Abraham and stating that his mission was “to seek and save the lost.”
Seeing Beyond the Surface
What’s remarkable about this encounter is how it began with simple curiosity. Jesus saw in Zacchaeus what others missed: a spiritual seeker. This story beautifully illustrates how God often works in small, seemingly insignificant ways to accomplish profound transformation.
The Holy Spirit’s work in human hearts is both wonderful and mysterious. Often, a significant spiritual journey begins with what appears to be nothing remarkable to outside observers.
Every meaningful change must start somewhere, and in spiritual matters, that beginning is frequently humble and easily overlooked.
Recognizing the Seekers Among Us
When we notice someone showing even a slight interest in faith—perhaps attending church after a long absence—we should remember Zacchaeus. Let’s not dismiss such people because their initial motives seem questionable or superficial. Hearing the gospel out of curiosity is far better than not hearing it at all.
It might be difficult to imagine how salvation could result from someone simply climbing a tree. That’s because we see only a person in a tree, while God sees someone lost and searching.
Before dismissing the “Zacchaeus” in your life, try seeing them through Jesus’s eyes. Those whom society labels insignificant often appear quite different from the perspective of our Savior.
The Problem with Judgment
Our world excels at judgment. Sadly, I’ve observed that some who claim to be Christians can be among the most judgmental, resembling the Pharisees of Jesus’s time. They misunderstand Jesus’s core teachings about what it means to be a neighbor, as illustrated in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
This judgmental attitude blinds us to the genuine curiosity in others. We miss precious opportunities for connection, conversion, and redemption. If we study carefully, we’ll notice that Jesus reserved his harshest judgments not for acknowledged sinners but for the hypocritically righteous and overly religious.
There exists a way to speak truth with love and compassion to those seeking answers. Those who fail to engage in relationships in this manner often drive people away from Jesus rather than drawing them closer.
A Lesson in Compassion
One of my favorite biblical accounts is “the woman caught in adultery” (John 8:1-11). Jesus’s interaction with both the accusatory Pharisees and the vulnerable woman provides a powerful example.
When religious leaders brought this woman before Jesus, demanding judgment according to Mosaic law, Jesus responded by writing on the ground and then offering the challenge: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
One by one, the accusers departed until only Jesus remained with the woman. He asked her, “Has no one condemned you?” When she confirmed no one had, Jesus declared, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”
The Call to True Discipleship
If we genuinely desire to follow Jesus, we must learn to live, love, and be neighbors as He was. We will treat the Zacchaeuses and those “caught in adultery” in our world as Jesus would—with compassion that acknowledges their humanity, affirms their worth, and invites transformation without condemnation.
True discipleship means seeing others not through the lens of judgment but through eyes of hope and possibility—recognizing that curiosity about God, however small, might be the beginning of something beautiful.
MindWolves 
I try to do that, not constantly but it is one of the notions th
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