“Today salvation has come to this house.” – Luke 19:7-10
When we think of Zacchaeus, the Sunday School song usually comes to mind. It tells the story of a small statured man who climbed a tree to see Jesus as he passed by. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was rich, but verse 3 states that Zacchaeus was “seeking to see who Jesus was.” Zacchaeus may have had all the earthly goods his heart desired, but he was still seeking something greater.
Jesus addressed Zacchaeus by name and paid him a great honor by announcing to the crowd that he would be staying at his home. The crowd was upset by this because Jesus did the opposite of what they expected. Rather than spend time with the religious leaders or the most pious of the city of Jericho, Jesus chose to spend time with people who were known to be sinners.
What I find interesting in this passage is that Jesus does not correct the crowd in their assumptions of their sinlessness. They considered themselves to be ‘right’ with Jesus and expected to be rewarded by receiving his time and attention. Rather than correct them, he points out that even Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham and that Jesus came to seek and save the lost. The crowd didn’t understand that they too were lost. There was only one ‘non-sinner’ in the crowd, and that was Jesus himself.
How many times in our lives have we looked at others and considered them to be sinners without recognizing our own sins? Do we ever sit in judgement of others and resent them for their good fortune when we consider ourselves right with God? How quickly we lose sight of who truly makes us whiter than snow. We focus on what we’re doing right versus what Jesus did for all the sons of Abraham – to seek and save the lost.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you so much for sending your son Jesus to seek and save the lost. Help us to be like Zacchaeus and seek to see who Jesus is. Let us acknowledge our sins and find joy in Jesus coming to save all the sons of Abraham.
– Contributed by Kellie Manasseri
Bible Reading
Read Mark 2 and record any insights you gain here.
Call to Connection
Reflect on your favorite story of transformation in Scripture. Ask a family member/friend what their favorite Scripture passage is and meditate on it today.
Midweek Worship Engagement: Preparation
Before worship this evening, you may wish to prepare your heart with five short prayer requests. If you like, write down in your own words what you would like to say.
- Pray that God will open your heart to hear what He has to say.
- Pray that you will grow in your awareness of what Jesus has done for you through His sacrifice on the cross.
- Pray that your heart will respond with praise for all God’s blessings in your life.
- Pray that you will be renewed in your commitment to give of yourself in response to God’s grace.
- Pray that you will be motivated to share what you have learned with the world in some small way this week.
Midweek Worship Engagement: Participation
During worship this evening, listen for opportunities to connect your responses with the prompts provided.
