19 Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. ² There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. ³ He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.

⁵ When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”

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

⁸ Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

⁹ Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Luke 19:1-10

Dear God, as I read this story, I thought about Zacchaeus being the chief tax collector for the region, wealthy, and also desperate to see Jesus. It wasn’t very dignified, after all, to climb a tree. I thought about the people who grumbled and complained about Jesus’s decision to go to Zacchaeus’s house. I thought about how much Zacchaeus would give away and if he would literally have anything left if he followed through on his pledge. Just how much had he cheated people out of. I guess it’s also interesting to remember that Jesus and then Paul both said it’s important to pay taxes.

The thing that really caught me at the end was that Jesus restored him as a true son of Abraham. He had been rejected by the other Jewish people as a thief and traitor, but Jesus accepted his repentance and restored him, saying that he had come to save those who were lost. Zacchaeus was lost, but now he was found.

I have a coworker who attended an ACTS retreat through the Catholic church this weekend. Who will she be today? How much support will she get from her friends at work? How can I support her? Did she embrace you this weekend? Did her life change? I hope so. I pray so. She wasn’t Zacchaeus before she left. I’m not saying that at all. But we all have parts of us you can work on. I am hopeful and prayerful that you did something for her this weekend that is special and life-changing, not only for her but also for everyone around her.

Father, help me to be exactly what you need me to be today for her and for everyone around me. I want to be part of your kingdome coming and your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. I also pray for your Spirit to move among our staff. Let this be the beginning of revival for all of us. A challenge to love you and live worshipping you and loving others. Show us the way.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen