Begin with two minutes of stillness and silence before God.

When my husband, Timmy, and I were dating, my home church pastor preached on this passage and we discussed it with my parents that day at lunch. I will never forget singing the song I learned as a kid, which Timmy had never heard since he didn’t grow up going to VBS or Children’s Choir! He looked at me like I was nuts. My parents were just a giggling.

When I got to “Zacchaeus, get down out of that tree!” I shook my finger in the air so hard.

Timmy very simply asked, “Why are you saying it like that?! Jesus wasn’t mad at Zacchaeus.”

CRICKETS.

I started defending the song because clearly Jesus shook his finger into that tree and scolded Zacchaeus - that was the VBS choreography. And in a very Timmy-kind-of way, he schooled us on the actual passage.

Was Zacchaeus a sinful man? Yep.

Was Jesus angry? Nope.

Was Jesus generous? YES! With His presence, His forgiveness, and His salvation.

To Zacchaeus, and to you, and to me.  

As we have seen all week, Jesus makes it clear that salvation comes from Him alone! And on that day, at the home of wee little Zacchaeus, Jesus walked through the doors and changed it all. The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost – the wee, little ones and the big, burly ones. The young ones and the old ones.

May we never miss the invitation from Jesus or misinterpret it. Jesus is a force, a holy force. An invitation to be in His presence comes with a guarantee that forgiveness is on the table, and change is on the menu.  

Let Jesus interrupt YOU today with His holy presence, and when His forgiveness is extended, receive it!  

Take two minutes to reflect in silence.