Daily Scripture: Luke 19:1-10
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Read additional translations at Biblegateway.com or youversion.com
Reflection Questions:
The Roman Empire told each tax collector how much they expected. Anything he collected beyond that was his. So Zacchaeus, a “chief” tax collector, was wealthy. But he wanted to meet Jesus, and Jesus wanted to meet him. When Jesus’ grace touched his life, Zacchaeus’ first response was to say, “I’m going to make things right.”
- Is Zacchaeus wealthier and more of a “success” at the start of this story or at its end? Sure, you know the answer you’re supposed to give! But, honestly, how do you define “wealth” and “success” for yourself? Would you give up as much as Zacchaeus did in order to have Jesus, the “pearl of great price,” in your life?
- Jesus seemed to like being with sinners and outsiders. That appalled the “good” people of his day (verse 7). Suppose Jesus was here today Who would he “call out of the trees” in your neighborhood, your workplace or your city that would be likely to upset you? How can you help him call them?
Read Correy Trupp’s insights on today’s scripture at gpsinsights.wordpress.com
Weekly Prayer:
Lord God, the Scripture story tells me that you created this beautiful world I live in with the resources to sustain life. It says that you mean my work, whether at home, at church or in my workplace, to be a vocation, a source of meaning and challenge. Give me your wisdom to make good choices, Lord, and to balance my work and my rest in you. Amen.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®. Used by permission of International Bible Society®. All rights reserved worldwide.
