Tuesday after the Second Sunday after the Epiphany of our Lord
Posted on January 16, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 19:1-10 (NKJV)
19:1 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. 7 But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.”
8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is ha son of Abraham; 10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Devotion
Zacchaeus had several challenges in his encounter with Jesus. He was short, he was a tax collector, and he was rich. As for his height, he easily overcame that obstacle by climbing a sycamore tree. His vocation as tax collector, however, had quite a stigma among the Jews; such stigma is well-documented throughout the New Testament (including verse 7 of our text). The fact that he was a wealthy tax collector would’ve made him even more removed, as it implied that he showed no mercy in his dealings, or perhaps overstepped his legal bounds. Wealth could also be a spiritual obstacle. Jesus Himself tells several parables in which men were caught up in their riches. And yet, Zacchaeus is eager to see Jesus, and is overjoyed when Jesus not only singles him out, but wishes to spend the day at his house—literally bringing salvation into Zacchaeus’ home.
Jesus’ mercy and salvation is meant for all, and therefore can and does break through barriers (whether real or supposed). Let us all be like Jesus, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, Who dost govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of Thy people, and grant us Thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
