God’s Mission in Luke 19:1-9
Luke 19:1-9
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
All the people saw [Jesus go into the house of Zacchaeus, the tax collector] and began to mutter, “He has gone to
be the guest of a sinner.” Luke 19:7
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
Pondering Point
Jesus hung out with “sinners” because they were the ones he came for, those on the outside. The tax collector Zaccheaus would easily qualify as an outsider. He was a Jew who had joined up with those ungodly Romans to squeeze his fellow Jews financially, all while lining his own pockets. Such people were labeled and treated as “sinners” -- despised and rejected.
But Jesus, who himself would be despised and rejected and treated as a sinner, offered different treatment. He offered forgiveness and reconciliation for sinners like Zaccheaus.
Look at the impact of Jesus’ act of love (or compassion or grace or whatever you want to label it). It is in verse eight, "Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much!” His reconciliation with God through Jesus led to acts of reconciliation with the people around him. Jesus wants you to be at peace with those around you. (See Hebrews 12:14 for further study on the matter.)
Hebrews 12:14-17
Warning and Encouragement
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
Prayer for the Day
Jesus, I welcome you as a guest in my home and my heart. I rejoice that you came for sinners like me. Move me to open my heart and home for others, including reconciling with any I have sinned against – and forgiving all who have sinned against me. In Your name I pray. Amen.
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Carol Kallina, teacher at Orlando Lutheran Academy back then, had driven to Woodlands Lutheran in her sporty blue Camaro. I remember both her smile and her laugh as she handed me Hope’s documents, optimistic that I would accept the call to serve the church she attended. I felt excitement – a shared excitement I believe – and was truly tickled that she drove the documents across town rather than use the ordinary route of mail. To this day, I smile with joy as I recall standing in the grass under the shadow of the Woodlands church tower. God changed the vonWerders’ lives that day. It would be just the beginning of many joys to come.