Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Journeys – Zacchaeus!

Luke 19v5 “Jesus looked up and spoke….”

Luke 19 begins, “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.” (19v1) He was on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem. He was deliberately on his way to be “mocked, insulted, spat on, flogged and killed” (18v32), and Jericho was just a town on the way.

But Jesus was easily diverted by the Holy Spirit to crucial encounters. There are crowds of people lining the streets to see him, and so Zacchaeus has climbed a tree to get a good view. But when Jesus reached that tree, “he looked up and said, ‘Zacchaeus … I must stay at your house today.’” (19v5). Jesus was sensitive to the Spirit.

Jesus proceeds to take time out from his journey to meet with this man who was renowned for greed. Despite the inevitable emotional needs Jesus must have had, he chose to chat over a meal with this man who was despised by others. Jesus cared for the “lost”.

The result is Zacchaeus is transformed from greed to generosity. And so Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (19v9). Jesus bore spiritual fruit.

It seems that if we are to walk the way of Jesus, we also need to be alert to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, to be ready to stop like Jesus and to take time out to care. Who knows what God might do!

Lord, may my priorities be aligned with yours, may my ears be open to your voice, and may my heart be ready to follow.

With love and blessing,

Roland