Tag: Zacchaeus

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Luke Devotionals

When we welcome our King

open door

If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes…you did not recognize the time when God visited you.” (Luke 19:42, 44)

Just thinking on those words. By welcoming our King, we find peace. (38)

Zacchaeus found peace as he opened his door to his King.

Put that in contrast with the Pharisees and other Jews that Jesus wept over as he entered Jerusalem.

Jesus, how much do I miss out on your peace because I fail to open my door wide open to you, letting you reign in my life?

How often do I miss out on your peace because I don’t even recognize you when you’re standing right in front of me?

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Luke Devotionals

When Jesus makes his visitation

Luke

If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes…you did not recognize the time when God visited you.” (Luke 19:42, 44)

Ever since my pastor’s message on spiritual blindness several weeks ago, I’ve noticed this theme throughout Luke.

We see things hidden from the disciples and Pharisees because they had closed their eyes and ears to what Jesus was saying and doing. (Luke 18:34, 19:39-41)

At least in the disciples’ case, they did recognize him as Messiah, although they were totally mistaken in their idea of what Messiah was.

But the Pharisees, despite all the signs and miracles Jesus performed, despite the fact that they could never answer his wisdom (Luke 13:17; 14:6), closed their eyes and ears to him, rejecting him, and as a result failed to recognize when God visited them.

On the other hand, we see people who did want to see and hear when Jesus was making his “visitation.”

We have Bartimaeus, the blind man in Jericho crying out, “I want to see!”

Despite all the people trying to shut him up, he refused to give up until Jesus heard him and called him. And by his faith, he was saved. (Luke 18:35-43, Mark 10:46-52)

And we see Zacchaeus, unable to see Jesus because of his height, making every effort to see.

Jesus saw and called him too, And when Jesus came to his house, Zacchaeus opened his ears to Jesus’ message of repentance and he too was saved. (Luke 19:1-10)

Jesus has made his visitation, and wants to bring us his salvation and peace. But we can’t know that salvation and peace unless we open our eyes and ears to him.

Even as Christians, it’s possible to be blind. The church at Laodicea was. They were living the “good life.”

But according to Jesus, they were actually “wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17)

Jesus offered to clothe them with his righteousness and help them to see.

He offers the same to us. He loves us and as with Zacchaeus, he calls us to repent. (Revelation 3:19)

So let us heed his words:

See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)

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Luke Devotionals

Joy

Luke

O Lord, let me know the joy of Zacchaeus. The joy of knowing that you love me. That you accept me. That you actually want to be with me. 

Let me know the joy of your forgiveness and mercy.

And springing from that joy, may I have the overwhelming desire of Zacchaeus to please you. 

It doesn’t matter what other people think or say about me. It is enough that you love and accept me. 

I do love you, Lord. 

Thank you for your love and your grace. In your name I pray, amen.

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Luke Luke 19

Because of us

Luke

This is a very famous story in the Bible, and it’s one I’ve heard (and sang) since I was a kid. But as I looked at it today, verse 3 struck me.

[Zacchaeus] wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. (Luke 19:3)

Zacchaeus, of course, was a tax collector. In our day and age that would be bad enough.

In the Jews’ day and age, however, it was worse because as I’ve mentioned before, they were basically considered collaborators with the Roman government, not to mention crooks.

As a result, they were utterly despised by their fellow Jews.

And yet, he wanted to see Jesus. Why? Probably because though he had all the money he could possibly want, he still felt empty inside. And in Jesus, he saw something different. He saw life and hope.

But because of the crowd, he couldn’t see Jesus.

This was a crowd, that if you had asked them, would probably have said that they were very religious. That they loved God. And yet because of them, Zacchaeus could not see Jesus.

Part of this was because he was short, of course, and because of the sheer number of people.

But I think there’s also a chance that Zacchaeus knew what would happen if he tried to push through to draw near to Jesus. That being who he was, the crowd would not be inclined to let him through.

And so he climbed a tree in order to see Jesus. When Jesus saw him, however, he said,

Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. (5)

If there had been any doubt at what the people’s reaction to Zacchaeus would be, it was quickly dispelled as the people grumbled,

[Jesus] has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ (7)

But touched by the love of Jesus, Zacchaeus became a changed man, and he said,

Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount. (8)

What can we get from this?

How often are like that crowd? We say we love God. We say that we even follow Jesus. But because of us, people can’t see him.

They can’t see him because we fail to tell them about him. Or even worse, because we look down on them and even push them away.

But let us always remember Jesus’ reaction to Zacchaeus. He longs for a relationship with them. That’s why he went to the cross. Not just for you and me. But for those around us. Even the despised.

So let us not despise those around us. And let us not block others off from him. Rather let us remember these words of Jesus and live them.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. (10)