Zacchaeus, the tax collector
Luke 19:1-10
What would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, “I must stay at your house today”? Would you be excited or embarrassed? Jesus often “dropped in” at unexpected times and often visited the “uninvited” — the poor, the lame, and even public sinners like Zacchaeus, the tax collector! Tax collectors were despised and treated as outcasts, no doubt because they accumulated great wealth at the expense of others. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and much hated by everyone. Why would Jesus single him out for the honor of staying at his home? Zacchaeus needed God’s merciful love, and in his encounter with Jesus, he found more than he imagined possible.
He shows the depth of his repentance by giving half of his goods to the poor and using the other half to make restitution for fraud. Zacchaeus’ testimony included more than words. His change of heart resulted in a life change that the whole community could experience as genuine. The Lord is always ready to make his home with us. Do you make room for him in your heart and in your home?
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