Week 2: Jesus Brings Life
Do you ever feel like you’re faking it? Like you’re holding it together on the outside, but inside, you’re desperate for something more? Zacchaeus had money, status, and power, but none of it could quiet the ache in his soul. So when he hears that Jesus is coming, he climbs a tree just to catch a glimpse. What happens next is unexpected. As you read, step into Zacchaeus’ shoes. If Jesus looked at you in that tree, hidden but hoping, how would He respond?
Read Luke 19:1-10 (ESV)
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Reflection:
In what ways have you been searching for meaning, hope, or connection, and how might Jesus be inviting you to stop striving and receive something real?
What does Jesus’ response to Zacchaeus reveal about God's heart toward those who feel unseen, unworthy, or far from Him?
Additional Resources
Gospel Coalition - “Little Man’s Lost and Found”