Scripture – Luke 19:1-10 NRSVUE
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
From Rev. Heather Leffler
Most of us know Zacchaeus’ story from our Sunday School days — the chief tax collector who became wealthy through unjust gain and had a change of heart after encountering Jesus. For many of us, the story has always been about a sinner being saved.
What struck me today was how meeting Jesus not only allowed Zacchaeus to see his wealth in a new light, but also allowed others to see him differently. When Zacchaeus declared to Jesus that he would give half of his possessions to the poor and repay fourfold anyone he had cheated, he wasn’t doing so privately at home. He stood there in the midst of the very people who had glared at him, muttered against him, and kept him at a distance.
Again and again, Jesus restores people to right relationship. Repentance isn’t something we do once and then become forever righteous. Living in community means we sometimes disappoint and hurt one another. Yet Jesus keeps offering us the chance to confess, to seek healing and hope, and to be restored to one another.
May we, like Zacchaeus, welcome Christ into our homes and hearts so fully that others come to see us—and we come to see one another—through the eyes of grace.
Contemplation and Conversation
When have you experienced healing in a relationship?
Prayer
Loving Christ, you call each of us by name and invite us into new life.
Help us open our hearts to your transforming presence,
so that our relationships—within this community and beyond—
may be marked by honesty, compassion, and grace. Amen.
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