Interruptions

Interruptions

Luke 19:5-6, NIV

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

Setting the Scene

We don’t know who was more surprised in those moments on Main Street in Jericho: the crowd whose attention was suddenly drawn to the despised chief tax collector up high on a sycamore branch, or Zacchaeus himself at having Jesus call him by name. The parade came to a sudden halt when Jesus stopped under the tree and looked up.

Jesus singled out Zacchaeus, requested his presence, and insisted on his extended company. What an amazing glimpse of Jesus’ approach with each of us. He knows us and calls us by name. He invites us to come to him and know him, and then he goes with us. Jesus always personalizes his invitations.

Verse 6 can be read several different ways. It either describes the immediate events, or it summarizes what occurred for several hours. The phrase “welcomed him gladly” would seem to indicate that Zacchaeus took Jesus home with him. They spent time together. The tax collector got to see and hear who Jesus was. Three things contributed to Zacchaeus’s “gladly” (literally “with joy”): Jesus acknowledged him, Jesus accepted his hospitality, and Jesus (as we will see) radically altered the tax collector’s view of himself. Jesus stepped into Zacchaeus’s life where he was, as he was, and left him changed forever. The details may change, but the work Jesus offers to do in any life is the same work he accomplished for Zacchaeus.

Getting Personal

What does it mean to you to know that Jesus knows you personally, by name?

When was the last time you sensed yourself singled out for his attention?

We have no record that gives us a hint of the tone of voice used by Jesus as he began to speak to Zacchaeus. Did he burst into laughter as he looked up? Was there a smile on his face as he spoke? Was there an unrecorded humorous caution for Zacchaeus, urging him to climb down carefully rather than fall out of the tree? However he shaped his voice and tone, Jesus was connecting with Zacchaeus, person to person. Pondering these possibilities promotes within us a deeper intimacy with Jesus, who knows us just as well as he knew Zacchaeus.

Talking to God

Being with Jesus changed Zacchaeus forever. Your quiet time with God, apart from distractions, has the potential of being just as life changing. Come to God today with mind and spirit open for the Lord’s conviction and encouragement.