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1 Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. 2 There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. 3 He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way - he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by. 5 When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." 6 Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. 7 Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?" 8 Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor - and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages." 9 Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! 10 For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost." (Luke 19:1-10 The Message Bible)
Good Monday to you, Friend! Make the most of this day that you can for the honor and glory of God! As we pray, please lift up in prayer these persons who have requested prayer: Ms. Sylvia Gaytan, facing medical issues in Dallas, Texas; Mr. Joe Britt Hindman having knee replacement surgery on Wednesday in Gonzales; and Ms. Cicely Jackson of Smiley, also may have knee surgery soon. May God bring them comfort and peace and healing.
It may have been the first song you and I learned in Sunday school days, way back in the day. Someone, wanting to make Zacchaeus famous, wrote the song that emphasized that Zee was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. If Zee had been around he might have said, "I'm good. I really don't need a song about me!" And under his breath may have said, "Especially emphasizing how 'wee' I may have been." I looked it up and the average stature of a man during Jesus' time was 5'5", so he might have been a bit shorter than that; short enough that he could not see the parade from where he stood, so he needed to climb a tree. What do we know about Zee? Well, the Bible says that he was an important tax man and quite rich. The popular understanding about tax collectors was that most were dishonest and took advantage of their position to take advantage of their countrymen. They would know the amount due Rome and they could tack on a bit more for themselves. My brother was a tax collector, well, a tax enforcement officer and the tales he told of dishonest modern day tax collectors and even wannabe tax collectors. He worked in the Southern Florida area and one woman, went so far as to go to a local church that served mainly Haitians and identified herself as an IRS agent needing to open a field office. She had the glass door of the office she rented from the church painted with IRS logo and she began to prey on fellow Haitians. "According to my records, you owe the US government $2,000 but if you bring me $800 we can call it even." And so, unsuspecting church members quietly complied and this went on until my brother went in to arrest her. And there's no telling how much money this lady made from people who trusted her. And the same could be said about Zee and his "business."
Yet something compelled this rich, important man to do something undignified: climb a tree like a child just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. His curiosity overcame his pride. His spiritual hunger overcame his concern for reputation. Whatever it took to see Jesus, Zacchaeus was willing to do it.
This invites us to examine our own hearts: How hungry are we to encounter Jesus? Are we willing to look foolish, to do what's undignified, to go beyond our comfort zones just to see Him? Sometimes the first step toward transformation is being willing to climb a tree when everyone's watching.
Imagine Zacchaeus perched in that sycamore tree, probably thinking he'd found the perfect hiding spot—close enough to see Jesus but safely above the hostile crowd. Then Jesus does something shocking: He stops, looks up, calls Zacchaeus by name, and invites Himself to dinner.
"I must stay at your house today." Not "I might" or "perhaps we could" but "I must." Jesus makes Zacchaeus' home His priority destination, communicating something profound: You're not just someone I'm willing to associate with—you're someone I'm choosing to honor with My presence.
This is the scandal of grace: Jesus doesn't wait for Zacchaeus to clean up his act, make restitution, or prove he's changed. He offers relationship first, knowing that genuine transformation happens in the context of acceptance, not as a prerequisite for it. Jesus meets you where you are, not where you should be.
The crowd's reaction reveals their fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. They thought He came to affirm the righteous; He came to rescue the lost. They expected Him to reward those who had it together; He prioritized those who were falling apart.
Their muttering represents the voice of religious disapproval that still exists today—the judgment that asks, "Why would God use that person? Why would Jesus choose them?" This voice forgets that none of us deserved to be chosen, that we're all recipients of scandalous grace, that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.
If you've ever felt like the crowd's muttering was directed at you—if you've been told you're too messed up, too far gone, too sinful to be useful to God—this story is your invitation to ignore the critics and respond to Jesus' call. His opinion is the only one that matters.
"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.'" This isn't Zacchaeus trying to earn Jesus' approval—it's his response to having already received it.
Notice the specificity and the immediacy: "here and now." Not "I'll think about it" or "eventually I'll make some changes." Genuine encounter with Jesus produces immediate, concrete, costly transformation. Zacchaeus doesn't just feel bad about his past; he makes it right. He doesn't just promise to do better; he commits to radical generosity.
The transformation is both vertical (relationship with God) and horizontal (relationship with others). Real change always affects both dimensions. You can't truly be right with God while remaining wrong with people. Authentic spiritual transformation always produces ethical transformation.
"Today salvation has come to this house." Jesus doesn't say "will come someday" or "might come eventually." He says "today"—right now, in this moment, salvation has arrived. Zacchaeus doesn't have to wait for a better version of himself. He doesn't have to complete a program or prove his worthiness. Today—messy, imperfect, just-starting-to-change today—salvation comes.
This is the urgency and immediacy of the gospel. You don't have to wait for tomorrow to be made right with God. You don't have to clean up your life before coming to Jesus. Today—right now, in this moment, exactly as you are—salvation is available. The question isn't whether you're good enough but whether you're willing to come down from whatever tree you're hiding in and welcome Jesus gladly.
Jesus' words to Zacchaeus are His words to us: "Come down immediately." Come down from whatever perch you've climbed to observe Jesus from a safe distance. Come down from the tree of self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, or self-protection. Come down from hiding and step into relationship.
The invitation includes urgency—"immediately." Not when you feel ready, not when you're more worthy, not when your life is more together. Now. Today. This moment. Jesus doesn't wait for perfect conditions to enter your life; He enters while you're still up a tree, while the crowd is still muttering, while you're still trying to figure out how to make things right.
And the invitation promises presence—"I must stay at your house." Jesus doesn't just pass by and wave. He doesn't just acknowledge you from a distance. He comes to stay, to be present, to transform your space by His presence. When Jesus enters your life, He doesn't come as a brief visitor but as an abiding guest who makes your house His home.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for seeking us when we were lost, calling us by name when we were hiding, and offering relationship before we cleaned up our mess. Help us come down from whatever trees we've climbed to observe You from a safe distance and welcome You gladly into every area of our lives. Give us Zacchaeus' immediate responsiveness, his joyful reception, and his radical generosity. Transform us not through guilt and shame but through the scandalous grace of being chosen by You. May our lives demonstrate that salvation has come today, making us living testimonies of what happens when the lost are found and the found become generous. In Your strong name, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: This week, identify one "tree" you've been hiding in—one area where you've been observing Jesus from a distance rather than welcoming Him fully—and respond to His invitation to "come down immediately" by taking one concrete step toward opening that area of your life to His transforming presence.
I love you and I thank God for you! You matter to God, you matter to me, and you matter to more people than you can imainge. Go out and make a difference!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
