JULY 25, 2014
Looking
For Zacchaeus
Read: Luke
19:1-10
Today salvation has come to this house. —Luke
19:9
Alf Clark walks the
city streets looking for Zacchaeus. Well, not the actual one in the Bible—Jesus
already found him. Alf and some friends who serve with an urban ministry do
what Jesus did in Luke 19. They go purposefully through town to meet with and help
those in need.
Alf walks house to
house in his neighborhood, knocking on doors and saying to whoever peeks out,
“Hi, I’m Alf. Do you have any needs I can pray for?” It’s his way of opening up
communication and—like Jesus did with tax-collector Zacchaeus—seeking to supply
needed counsel and spiritual life and hope.
Notice what Jesus did.
Luke simply says that Jesus “passed through” Jericho (Luke 19:1). Of course, a
crowd gathered, as usually occurred when Jesus came to town. Zacchaeus, being
“height challenged,” climbed a tree. Jesus, while passing through, walked right
over to his tree and told him He had to visit at his house. That day salvation
came to Zacchaeus’s house. Jesus had “come to seek and to save that which was
lost” (v.10).
Do we look for
Zacchaeus? He is everywhere, needing Jesus. In what ways can we share Christ’s
love with people who need the Savior?
God, guide our steps
toward and not away
from those who need
You. Then guide our words
and our actions so
that we can be purposeful
in our encounters with
others.
God’s good news is too
good to keep to ourselves.
Insight
When Zacchaeus said he
would “restore fourfold” (v.8), he followed the highest pattern rather than the
one required under Jewish law. While fourfold restoration was required for
sheep stealing (see Ex. 22:1 and David’s response to Nathan, 2 Sam. 12:5-6),
the restitution for normal theft was a return of the principal plus an extra 20
percent.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
