Good Morning Friends,
I wonder how Zacchaeus would react to the reality that thousands of children sing songs about him climbing up a tree and having Jesus as a dinner guest. I imagine he would be pleased for it is the spill over from the transformation of doing justice and being generous. His path to salvation is one of the great stories in the Bible. Have You Opened Your Heart And Home To Jesus?
Scripture: He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV)
When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Mark 2:16-17 (NRSV)
‘And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your works; you have a name for being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is at the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. Yet you have still a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. ‘And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation: ‘I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, “I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.’
Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22 (NRSV)
Message: Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector, a thief, and a sinner. Thankfully our diminutive chief tax collector reacted quite differently than most people of power to Jesus. He not only welcomed Jesus into his home he also welcomed Jesus into his heart and life. He put aside all the ridicule, the embarrassment and the opposition and opened his home, his heart and life to Jesus. For before Jesus, he was one of the most despised men in Jericho. But what changed him? What healed him? Was it seeing Jesus or was there a purpose he filled beyond a personal conversion? Now you may ask why Jesus surrounded himself with tax collectors and sinners. Well, this is a question that the Pharisees asked Jesus. And Jesus responded that spending time with sinful people not to party but the reveal their sin and bring them to repentance and then help them to follow a Godly behavior that reveals joy. So, healing corrupt tax collectors was a good way of helping many people. It was both personal and communal. The beauty of the story is that Zacchaeus not only opened his home and his heart, but he opened them with joy. His passion to see Jesus was met with his joy in receiving Jesus. When Jesus told Zacchaeus that he wanted to come to his house the man could not have been more pleased. No doubt with the location of Jericho and the high position Zacchaeus held, he had entertained many powerful people in his home. It is not beyond conjecture that given his title and riches, Zacchaeus had hosted family members of King Herod Antipas, King Philip along with some Roman officials associated with Pontius Pilate and other dignitaries. Now, he opened his home to the only one who would transform his heart and his life and he does so with joy and delight. Now, a great many people make rash faith statements at times. And a great many of those type of faith statements falls to the wayside. But tradition that Zacchaeus followed through on his promises. We are led to believe that Zacchaeus lived out the rest of his life practicing his faith not only in his heart but in his everyday actions. He was seen not only being faithful to Christ but sharing his goods with the poor and making good on any restitutions that were necessary. He was a transformed man living out a transformed life. And the beauty is that we can be transformed too.
And So, People often substitute a religious life for a righteous life. Being religious is ok but not a sufficient way. Being righteous is God’s way and this requires a transformation. We find that people and churches too often fail to live righteously. More live religious lives and actions but not from the heart. The thing is that when the heart is right then all phases of life will be righteous, and this goes not just for individuals but for the success of the churches in which they worship.
Pray we have an intense desire to see Jesus at work in the world. Pray we are healed for service. Pray we have a humility regardless of position. Pray we practice the spiritual ministry of restitution. Pray we live our faith personally, domestically, socially, and economically. Pray we are as welcoming to the poor as we would be as if we were welcoming Jesus. Pray we have an openness of the heart that transforms us though a love that changes our life so that it can glorify God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 