Luke 19:1–9 (Listen)
19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And 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 and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
Devotional:
Salvation of Jesus
Lost doesn’t mean poor. There are many wealthy individuals who are lost and need help finding their way in life. Jesus found worth in Zacchaeus’s name and called him out by name, not by his wealth. But Jesus reaching out through invitation demonstrated a deep connection that helped Zacchaeus find his way. Zacchaeus obtained his wealth through cheating the financial system, but Jesus has the ability to drive out any fault in us if we are willing to respond to His calling.