Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV)
Read Luke 19:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 19He entered Jericho and was passing through it. Verse 2A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. Verse 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. Verse 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. Verse 5When 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." Verse 6So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. Verse 7All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Verse 8Zacchaeus 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." Verse 9Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. Verse 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."
Devotion
Remember Zacchaeus, the “wee, little man” in a song we learned as children? Here he was, a rich Roman tax collector. But, behaving like a little boy, we see him running to find a tree to climb. But don’t make fun of him. You may recognize yourself in this man from Jericho.
And you may know people like Zacchaeus. Our world is filled with people who have heard and known something about Jesus. When the opportunity came for Zacchaeus to see Jesus in person, he clumsily climbed up a sycamore tree. But it wasn’t he who found Jesus. It was Jesus who found Zacchaeus.
And that’s what bringing Jesus to the world is all about. Jesus calls believers to be his ambassadors to all nations. The Holy Spirit inspires our witness to Jesus, moving those without hope to seek Jesus while he may be found!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you have revealed yourself as “the way, and the truth and the life.” By the power of Your Holy Spirit, empower our seeking and our following of you that others who are seeking might come to know you as Savior and Lord. Amen.