“He Sought to See Jesus Who He Was”

Zacchaeus climbed a tree.

You might think that a wealthy man in an important if unpopular position—chief among the publicans—would want to maintain some dignity in public. But apparently his desire to see Jesus overcame any inhibitions about seeming ridiculous as a short man sitting in a tall tree. Luke tells us that Zacchaeus wanted “to see Jesus who he was” (Luke 19:2), and Elder James W. McConkie III adds, “not Jesus as [he] wanted or wished Him to be, but rather Jesus as He really was and is” (“And They Sought to See Jesus Who He Was,” General Conference, October 2022).

There’s an intellectual honesty in seeking to see “things as they really are” (Jacob 4:13), rather than simply seeking more evidence that we are right. An openness to new experiences and a willingness to let our mental models be challenged are fundamental characteristics of an effective learner.

Zacchaeus must have been shocked when Jesus singled him out, but Jesus was uniquely skilled at challenging stereotypes and seeing people as they really are. President Henry B. Eyring taught:

Walking with the Savior in priesthood service will change the way you look at others. He will teach you to see them through His eyes, which means seeing past an outward appearance and into the heart (see 1 Samuel 16:7)…. This is how He was able to see Zacchaeus not as the corrupt tax collector others saw but as an honest, upright son of Abraham (see Luke 19:1–9). If you walk with the Savior long enough, you will learn to see everyone as a child of God with limitless potential, regardless of what his or her past may have been. And if you continue walking with the Savior, you will develop another gift He has—the ability to help people see that potential in themselves and so repent.

“Walk with Me,” General Conference, April 2017

I can only imagine that Zacchaeus was energized and uplifted by the Savior’s visit to his home. Surely, when Jesus said, “This day is salvation come to this house” (Luke 19:9), he was even more motivated to be generous, kind, and scrupulously honest than he was before.

Today, like Zacchaeus, I will strive to see the Savior as He really is. I will strive to learn from Him to see everyone around me as they really are—and as they can become—and to treat them accordingly.