Jesus Invites Himself
Imagine you’re relaxing at home, you have prepared a nice meal for your family, and someone unexpectedly knocks on your door, announcing, “I’m having dinner with you tonight!”
Most of us would find that incredibly rude. Uninvited guests can disrupt our plans, challenge our boundaries, and leave us scrambling to accommodate.
Jesus invites himself to the home of a tree-climbing tax collector.
Jesus is traveling through Jericho. A man named Zacchaeus comes out to see Jesus. Zacchaeus is a ruler among the tax collectors. He is the person at the top of the pyramid scheme. He collects money from the people who collect money from his people. He isn’t the town’s favorite. He is hated. He gets rich off of other people’s poverty.
He was also short. Determined to see Jesus, he climbs a tree. The story is comical—a guy in a sycamore tree. Jesus stops in the exact spot and looks up. If one person in a crowd looks up, we usually all look to see what he is looking at. I imagine all eyes are now on Zacchaeus. How embarrassing. So, Zacchaeus comes down.
Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus’s home, and we are told that Zacchaeus is “happy to welcome Jesus” (Luke 19:6).
No one else was happy. The crowd grumbled. There were plenty of good people for Jesus to share lunch with. Why go to the home of a cheater like Zacchaeus?
The visit was life-changing for Zacchaeus. He says, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much” (Luke 19:8).
I had a grandmother who taught the Zacchaeus story using a flannel board. Imagine a tree, a short-stature character, and a character representing Jesus. My grandmother would start the lesson by quoting the Children’s song, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he.” She would put Zacchaeus in the tree, and she would have Jesus walk underneath the tree.
In the retelling of the story she would tell of Zaccahaeus’ determination to do whatever it took to see Jesus. Despite the crowd and his physical limitations, Zacchaeus made an extra effort to see Jesus. Jesus awards Zacchaeus for his effort by having dinner at his house.
On the flannel board at a distance was a house, and my grandmother would have Zacchaeus come out of the tree, and he and Jesus would go to the house for dinner.
The encounter with Jesus changed Zacchaeus, and Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, says, “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” (Luke 19: 8).
Meeting Jesus became a life-changing experience, and my grandmother would tell the kids sitting in a circle, “If you ask Jesus in your heart, your life can be changed today, too.”
But let’s hear the story again, a little slower. After Jesus had invited himself to the home of Zacchaeus, the scripture says Zacchaeus “Hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 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’”(Luke 19: 6 – 8).
The tax collector Zacchaeus was excited to have Jesus as a dinner guest. The crowd was not happy. They criticized Jesus for eating with sinners. In front of the crowd, Zacchaeus spoke to Jesus about giving money to the poor and making restitution for anyone he had possibly cheated.
Depending on what translation you read determines how you interpret the text. My translation implies that Zacchaeus will give back or make good based on his encounter with Jesus. However, other translations imply that this is already who Zacchaeus is. He gives to the poor and pays back four times if someone is cheated. The original Greek text gives us no reason to add the words “I will” Or “I am going to.” The Greek text implies that Zacchaeus is a person who is generous and fair all along.
The text doesn’t say anywhere that Zacchaeus is a sinful person or that he is remorseful or repentant. It says he is short. It says he is wealthy. It says he is a tax collector. Only the agitated crowd says he is a sinner. If they want to call him a sinner and someone who has lost his way, Jesus says, “The Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus even implies that the man is no different than the crowd when he says of Zacchaeus, “He, too, is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19: 9).
Could it be that Zacchaeus is a tax collector who is fair in his dealings with people and even goes over and beyond to ensure people are treated fairly? But because of their prejudices and judgments, the crowd only sees a sinner. If so, Jesus encourages Zacchaeus and rebukes the crowd when he says, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9).
Oh, and what does the name Zacchaeus mean? It means “pure” or “innocent.”
The crowd saw a sinner. Jesus saw a determined man who deserved to be recognized and have his name called. Because he responded, Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus becomes an encounter with grace.
Baptist preacher and Sociologist Dr. Tony Campolo, who recently passed away, once asked, “What do you reckon Jesus would have said to that prostitute?” He asked the question while looking out the window of his downtown Philadephia to a classroom full of interfaith students.
A Jewish student responded looking out the same window, “Jesus would never see that prostitute.” Campolo began to suggest that Jesus related to prostitutes in scripture. The Jewish man interrupted and said, “Dr. Campolo, you didn’t hear me…..Jesus never saw a prostitute.” Campolo responded to situations from the Gospels. Again, the man replied, “You are not listening to me. Jesus never saw a prostitute.”
Suddenly, Campolo understood. When Jesus looked at someone, he looked beyond their situation, and he looked beyond their perceptions of themselves and beyond society’s judgment. Jesus saw the whole person.
“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him (Luke 19: 5 -6).
Jesus didn’t just see Zacchaeus; he called him by name and stepped into his life. He invited himself into Zacchaeus’s home, creating space for grace to work. What if we did the same?
This week, ask God to help you see people as Jesus sees them—not defined by their past, their mistakes, or their reputation, but as children of God, worthy of love and redemption. Then take a step: extend kindness, build a bridge, or reach out to someone you’ve overlooked.Will you be like the crowd, stuck in judgment, or will you be like Jesus, stepping into grace? The choice is yours.
Pastor Jamey
(Click Here to Watch the Worship Service from Gainesville First United Methodist Church, Gainesville, Georgia)
Questions to Consider:
- How did the crowd’s perception of Zacchaeus differ from Jesus’ perception of him? What does this tell us about how we view others?
- Why do you think Zacchaeus was eager to welcome Jesus into his home despite the crowd’s judgment?
- The crowd grumbled about Jesus going to the home of a “sinner.” In what ways do we sometimes grumble about grace being extended to others?
- How can we, as a church and as individuals, create opportunities for others to encounter grace, even those who might be labeled or judged by society?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Today, we dedicate ourselves to seeing as you see—not with eyes clouded by judgment but with hearts filled with grace. Help us to look beyond labels and assumptions and recognize the worth and dignity of every person as a child of God. Amen.
Benediction:
Go now with eyes open to see others as Jesus sees them, with hearts ready to extend grace and hands willing to serve.
The crowd saw a sinner. Jesus saw a man eager to encounter grace. Who are we overlooking today? #SeeAsJesusSees #LoveBeyondLabels
Jesus didn’t wait for an invitation—He stepped into Zacchaeus’ life with grace. Let’s follow His lead and bring love where it’s needed most. #BeLikeJesus #ExtendGrace
The name Zacchaeus means ‘pure’ or ‘innocent.’ Sometimes, grace calls us to see people as God intended, not as the world labels them. #RedemptiveLove #GraceTransforms
Jamey Prickett 