Daily devotional · July 24
Come Down, I'm Coming to Your House
“Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way. When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.” So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully.”
Zacchaeus was a wealthy tax collector, disliked by neighbors, and too short to see over the crowd. So he did something undignified and climbed a tree. Jesus stopped beneath it, looked up, and called him by name. Then came the surprise: today I must stay at your house. Jesus did not wait until Zacchaeus had cleaned up his reputation. He chose to be a guest before any change was made. It was that welcome that made repentance possible, and Zacchaeus quickly promised to give half his wealth to the poor and to repay anyone he had cheated. Kindness opened the door that criticism never could. Today, think of someone whom others tend to keep at a distance. Offer them a friendly gesture: a greeting, a coffee, an invitation to a meal. Let grace go first, and trust God with what happens after.
Prayer
Jesus, you welcomed the outsider. Give me your kind of welcome for the people I avoid.