When a House becomes a Home this Christmas (Luke 19:5) (Luke 19:9-10)

 

Luke 19:5  When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name, "Zacchaeus!" he said, "Quick come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."

This is the story (Luke 19:1-10), Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming into his neighborhood.  Since he was a short man, he figured that he had to climb a tree to be above the crowd.  Zacchaeus was also a wealthy, influential man because he was a Jew working as a tax collector for the Romans.  He also had overcharged   Obviously, this didn't give him a good reputation among his fellow Jewish friend.  He was what they called a sinner.

According to common religious beliefs, Jesus shouldn't even have talked to him.  But he did out of love for him.  Jesus looked beyond Zacchaeus's fault as he does with you right now and approached him by name.  How personal is Jesus?  Jesus had just met him a few minutes ago but, in fact he knew him from the beginning like he does, you.  In today's world you can make an online purchase without talking to anyone and nobody knows your name.  No wonder there is so much loneliness in this world.  Jesus is not like that, he knows you better than you know yourself.  In fact, he made you.  In Psalm 139, it says that he knit you in your mother's womb, he is God himself.  He was and he is and he will always be there for you.

Nevertheless, Jesus now called him from his tree which in fact represents Zacchaeus's own common sense and human reasoning to be able to see Jesus.  Jesus wants to bring people to his own level.  His level is down to the servant's level.  He wants to meet the commoner on common grounds.   There is room for those people.  Those who are willing to meet with Jesus.  They will welcome him in their homes (Their own hearts).  He will then be their friend forever.

Jesus didn't even need to reprimand him.  Zacchaeus is now with him fully aware of his wrongdoings in the Presence of this Love.  He became aware of his wrongs.  For example, he had to pay back some people for his dishonesty.  He had been so steep in wrongs that he had become blind to his own faults.

Thank God, Jesus had arrived at the right time to restore his life so he could live it to the full.

Take this Christmas as an opportunity to welcome Christ in your heart.  Truly, he is the Prince of Peace.

Luke 19:9-10  Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham.  And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.