-April 24, 2025-
Good morning beloved, happy Thursday,
“So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.”
(Luke 19:6).
Often people came to Jesus to heal them and save them; other times Jesus came to them. In the case of Zacchaeus did both: because was short, he climbed up in a Sycamore tree so that could see Jesus. He had great faith and determination to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, hated by both the Jews and the Romans. The Jews called them sinners and wouldn’t associate with them. Tax collectors collected the amount charged by the Romans and charged an extra fee in on top of it. They got rich in a very unscrupulous way.
Chief tax collectors were the worst of the worst; they collected a fee from the other tax collectors and became even richer. Zacchaeus knew he was a sinner and that Jesus received sinners.
Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree and called him down to go to his house. This is the first time Jesus invited Himself over for dinner. It was also an outreach to his family and friends. Onlookers complained that Jesus went to be a guest of sinner.
Jesus loves sinners and saves them. Zacchaeus showed true repentance and salvation. Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9). What a life changing experience for Zacchaeus; his life would never be the same.
Jesus explained in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which lost.” Souls are precious to the Lord and He reaches out His arms of love to everyone who comes to Him.
Sunday School kids love this story— we all love it too. It is our story. We, like Zacchaeus, must see our need of Jesus and come to Him as lost sinners. He will never turn us away.
Have a blessed day as a sinner saved by grace. Stay safe and healthy.
We must come down from our high tree, to come to Jesus to be set free.
Dean
Dean Allen's Daily Devotional 