Luke 19:1–10 ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.’ (v9)
Zacchaeus is determined to see Jesus! He is small, so he climbs up a tree to get a better view of the Lord passing through Jericho; he couldn’t get a proper view any other way.
His tenacity is rewarded as Jesus tells him that He is going to spend time with Zacchaeus at his house!
This causes shockwaves in the crowd; for this man is a ‘sinner’ (v7), a hated tax collector, working for the Romans, and dishonest with it.
How could Jesus be a guest at this man’s home? But the visit has great results: Zacchaeus promises restoration to anyone he has cheated (v8).
His heart has been changed; salvation has come to him. He is accepted; he is part of God’s family (v9).
Jesus chose quite an eclectic group of people as His first followers, from tax collectors such as Levi (Mark 2:13–17) to ‘zealots’ like Simon (Luke 6:15), hot-headed fishermen (Mark 3:17) and doubters (John 20:27).
He had conversations with people who were living lives of dubious integrity, such as the woman at the well in John 4.
All were welcome if they simply accepted Him. It is interesting to think of some of the conversations these people had – I wonder if we can imagine the tax collector speaking with the zealot over breakfast!
But the point is, the Lord calls all sorts of people from all kinds of backgrounds and experience to follow Him.
Salvation is a gift freely given, providing a rich tapestry of sometimes the most unexpected people, being built together to make a beautiful picture for God.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Thank You, Lord, that You welcome all who will accept Your invitation to salvation! Help me to pray more fervently for hearts to be changed for Your glory. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Think of the vastness of God’s salvation! Write a short poem, hymn or piece of prose, praising God.
Scripture To Consider:
Josh. 6:1–25; Jonah 4:1–11; 1 Pet. 2:4–10; Rev. 7:9–17
