zacchaeus Archives - Daily Thoughts about God

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” Luke 19:5-6

Have you ever considered that Zacchaeus gladly welcomed Jesus to his home? Given his occupation — a tax collector whom many despised — you might think he would have hid among the leaves of that sycamore tree. But he didn’t; he came down, escorted Jesus to his home, and threw a little party, and an unplanned one at that.

I wonder who else joined them. Probably not those who watched this happen; they were muttering, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” I can picture them with arms crossed and faces scowling.

But something tells me Zacchaeus would have welcomed his enemies to his home that day. Consider his new heart when he says, “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.” His generous heart flowed in love for the poor, and his pocketbook with justice for mistreated clients.

What explains his change of heart? One clue is the reason he climbed the tree — “he wanted to see who Jesus was.” And who did he see? He saw someone worthy of calling “Lord.” Perhaps Jesus’ reputation preceded him. Maybe Zacchaeus knew that with Jesus, wine overflowed, blind saw, lame walked, and dead people revived. Jesus was a rock star and the rich taxman had to catch a look. And now, with Jesus present in the flesh, Zacchaeus humbled himself, acknowledged his wrong-doing, and sought to make things right.

Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus to show us a life worth imitating. May I bow in awe of His glory and from that place open my heart to people. Show me whom I may invite to my home to celebrate the presence of Jesus. Amen.

By Dr. Bill Strom
Used by Permission

www.thelife.com/dailydevotions

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“Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.” Luke 19:6-7 (NLT)

God’s love and grace have no limits. He sees our hearts. Praise God He does not see what others see! Praise God that our hearts are drawn towards Him so we may find the salvation He gives us in Christ Jesus and be in His presence. Today I want to share one of my favorite scriptures on grace. On how He loves us, even when we don’t deserve it!

Take out your Bible and read the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:2-10.

Zacchaeus is no different than any of you reading this. He was a sinner, just like me. He was a sinner who knew there was something special about Jesus. He knew in his heart that he did not like who he was and wanted to be right with God. God pulled on Zacchaeus’ heart and he responded. Now Zacchaeus was a thief, a liar, and a cheat. Nobody liked him, and we see this in verse seven. The crowd could not understand how someone like Jesus would want to be around a cheat like Zacchaeus.

Let me ask you something. Have you ever told a lie in your life? Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you at any point in your life? Have you ever bent the rules just a bit to allow something to go your way ever in your life? If you answer honestly you will most likely hit 2 out of 3 on these questions. So what is the difference between Zacchaeus and us?

There is no difference, except that the whole town knew what Zacchaeus had done. Yet, Jesus Christ wants to be a guest in his home. This is grace. This is the love God showers on us. We don’t deserve it. It is grace that called out to Zacchaeus to come down from that tree, and it is grace that saved Zacchaeus soul that night as Jesus stayed as a guest in his house. It is grace that touched the heart of Zacchaeus that led him to give back what he had wrongfully taken. It is grace that saves the lost, and that saves sinners like you and me. Praise Jesus!

Father I pray today that we would see ourselves for the sinners we are. I pray that we are humble enough to realize that in no way do we deserve Your love or Your blessings. It is only by the gift You have given us in Jesus Christ that we are able to come into Your presence. Let us praise you and thank you for the grace You shower on us. You don’t keep track of our wrongs and our sins. On how You love us even when we are Your enemy! You gave us Jesus to save us. Thank you Jesus, Hallelujah, we praise Your name Lord! Amen.

Question: Do you understand the grace of God’s Love?

By Daniel Forster
Used by Permission

We’d love to hear from you. If you don’t see our response form, please go to https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/df_grace-zacchaeus/

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughts-about-god.com/four-laws/

Welcoming Gently

Grace – the Example of Zacchaeus

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Welcoming Gently

Grace – the Example of Zacchaeus