We’re All Looking for Someone Looking for Us
“Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:9-10
There’s a story in the Gospel of Luke about a guy named Zacchaeus. Zaccheaus was a wee little man… who few people liked. In fact, people hated him because of what he did for a living; he was a tax collector who took advantage of people for his own profit. One day, Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to town so he goes to seek him out. There are these huge crowds and Zacchaeus couldn’t see past the people to find Jesus. So he climbed up in the sycamore tree. But as he did, something happened. Jesus looked directly at Zacchaeus and he said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”
Do you know those moments where you hear someone say something that just sticks with you forever? Dr. Curt Thompson is this brilliant psychologist who specializes in interpersonal neurobiology… aka he studies the brain (aka he’s super smart). Here’s what he says that stuck with me. He said, “Every human being is born into the world looking for someone looking for them.” Isn’t that beautiful?
Think about what he’s saying: Every human being is born into the world looking for someone looking for them. Maybe you can see areas in your life where you are looking for someone looking for you. In some ways, we are all attention-seekers and approval-searchers.
What if what we are all ultimately seeking is something that is already offered to us by Jesus Himself? The One who came to give us salvation — the One who came to seek and save the lost?
Zacchaeus was looking for someone looking for him. And when he found Jesus, he was amazed to find out that Jesus was looking for him too! Everyone was so angry that Jesus was going to his home because they hated Zacchaeus, but Jesus says something so important at the end of the story when he says to Zacchaeus: “Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
If you’re looking for someone looking for you, look no further. Jesus has come to find you and to set you free from all of your seeking. He has come to seek and save the lost.