Tuesday
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. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” - Luke 19:5-7
Can you imagine being Zacchaeus in that Sycamore-fig tree when Jesus stopped and called him by name? Luke tells the story in such straight-forward manner that it is easy for us to miss the real drama of that moment. Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a tree, he didn’t push his way through the crowd to see Jesus. It is reasonable to assume that Zacchaeus simply wanted to see and hear Jesus, not necessarily to be called out by name in front of everyone.
I can just hear the whispers and murmurs in the crowd at that moment, “Isn’t that Zacchaeus the tax-collector? I hate that guy! Why is Jesus talking to him? He should knock him right out of that tree!”
But Jesus stops, he notices the little man in the tree, he calls to him by name, he tells him to come down, and then he says something absolutely astounding, he says that he (Jesus) is coming over to stay at his house!? This does not mean that Jesus is going to drop by for a few minutes on his way out of town. When Luke tells us that the people of that town saw this and began to mutter that Jesus had gone to be the guest of a sinner, the implication is that Jesus was going to be staying for a while.
In ancient eastern cultures, the ultimate symbol of personal acceptance of another individual was table fellowship - to sit and share a meal with that person. When Jesus says that he must stay at Zacchaeus’ house, he is making a shocking statement. Jesus is saying (In effect); Zacchaeus, we are going to eat together and sit down together and talk together, I am going to be in your home - the very center of your life! In that culture, no self-respecting Rabbi would ever have entered the house of a tax-collector! Jesus is making a serious breech of social and religious etiquette (but that is nothing new for Jesus).
Little Zacchaeus is getting much more than he bargained for when climbed that tree by the side of the road!
(It is not uncommon to hear some evangelical Christians talk about inviting Jesus into your heart. But apparently, according to this story, Jesus can also invite himself into your heart and life too!)
Notice how Zacchaeus responds to Jesus command to come down and invitation to come over - So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. Don’t overlook this simple statement. It was a very significant thing for Zacchaeus to come down out of that tree and to welcome Jesus into his home. He was allowing Jesus into the center of his life.
Most of us are content to keep Jesus on the perimeter of our lives, to talk about him, to read about him, to sing about him in church, but not to let him have full access to our hearts. The trouble with this is that Jesus will not be a house-guest with limited access in your heart. He will have all of us or none at all!
What are the “rooms” in your heart that Jesus does not yet have full access to?
What parts of your life are “off limits” to Him?
Jesus comes to each of us, just as he did to Zacchaeus, and he calls us by name. He says that he wants to come in to the center of our lives, he wants full access to our hearts. What will you do? Will you welcome him gladly?
Jeff Frazier
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4 comments:
It sounds like whatever was going on in Zacchaeus' life had him wanting something more, or something different. Maybe that's why he completely forgot to keep looking cool and climbed a tree where all could see him. He didn't do it to be seen, but to see. But, the only one who's opinion matters did see him. Some of us have to be shocked into forgetting ourselves, so we can see and be seen by Jesus. He always see's us and see's all of us. But, like Adam we can think we're actually hiding from him.
Dear Annonymous,
Great insights! Yes Zacchaeus climbed the tree to see, and the end result was that his vision of Jesus and of himself was completely transformed! I alos like your reference to Genesis and Adam & Eve hiding from God (as if that is possible).
Pastor Jeff
Being a Mom with fairly young children, I don't think I could welcome anyone at a moments notice and not have something to be embarrassed about. "Welcome, Jesus! and welcome to my dirty laundry that is sitting right in the entry way! or the never ending sea of toys, etc." It seems rediculous, and I've even kind of hidden, you know when the neighbors stop by, in the crack of the door. "Oh, HI! Isn't it nice outside... let's chat out here!"
Yet, this is exactly what God wants us to do in our lives. Let me in; I'll help you with your dirty laundry. I know your life is cluttered with junk... I'll help you sort it and organize it...
For me, it took a hurricane, so to speak, in my life to create the willingness to allow God in all the areas of my heart. But, I am so greatful for the storms of my life that, although painful and not of my choosing, have allowed God to help me with more than just some dirty laundry. I am sooooo grateful that Jesus wanted to come to my house.
What a wonderful example from everyday life! Jesus comes in and cleans, sorts and "takes care of" our dirty laundry. The apostle Paul even goes so far as to say that we should "take off" off the old self, and "put on" the new self which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph.4:22-24).
In other words Jesus doesn't clean our dirty clothes, but he gives us brand new clothes to wear!
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