Focus

Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.

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Read

Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV)

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.”

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Reflect

We think of the story of Zacchaeus as a children’s story because of the song we learned as children in Sunday school. But the story is a fully-grown, “big people” story with a message that is much deeper than that of a wee little man who climbed a tree to see Jesus and then ended up having Jesus come to his house to visit.

Zacchaeus was hated—hated—by the people who lived in the area. He overcharged them on their taxes so that he could take the extra and live a lavish lifestyle. He stole from them in order to have more money for himself. While we don’t know what compelled him to go see Jesus that day, we do know that he climbed a tree so that he could get a better glimpse of the processional. Jesus, who incidentally was making his way to Jerusalem where his life would soon be ended, took the time to single out the most hated person in the crowd, which change that person’s life forever.

Zacchaeus was given one of the greatest gifts of all—the chance to repent and be forgiven of his sins. We have also been given that gift. What a wonderful feeling it is to know that Jesus is at our house each day.

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Pray

Jesus, thank you for being present in our minds, our hearts, and our homes. Like Zacchaeus, we are small and short-sighted at times, and too often we are like the people in that crowd who grumble and wonder why others get recognition for things when we feel they haven’t earned it. Help us to focus on what matters—a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Go with God.