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Day 3: The Story of Zacchaeus

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me show dignity and worth to people even when I don’t agree with their lifestyle or worldview.

Reading: Luke 19:1–10

Whether you grew up in church or not, the name Zacchaeus is probably familiar. He’s the… hmm… “vertically challenged” gentleman who shimmied his way up a tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. But the backstory is where it gets interesting.

Jesus had just punctuated a long day of teaching by performing a very public miracle: He gave a blind man his sight. It’s no wonder a huge crowd was following him as he entered Zacchaeus’s hometown of Jericho.

Jesus was at the height of his earthly influence, with crowds following him and hanging onto his every word. And he crossed paths with a suspicious-looking character perched on a sycamore tree limb. If that’s not odd enough, add to the mix that Zacchaeus was known to intentionally rip people off.

And do you know what Jesus did as a large crowd looked on? He told Zacchaeus that he wanted to come to his house!

With that invitation, Jesus was demonstrating what many would consider the main purpose of his earthly ministry: to show people God wants a relationship with them, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. Jesus told the people around him the point of that whole exchange with Zacchaeus: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

In his earthly ministry, Jesus typically didn't let someone’s behavior or lifestyle affect how he treated them. Instead, he met individuals where they were. And when the right moments came, he not only treated them with kindness but also invited them into his story.

Reflection:

What if we made it our ambition as Christ followers to live like that? What if we sometimes surprised people by being kind to those who view the world differently than us?