Short Story - Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (NIV)

            I’ve always been a short person, so I know how Zacchaeus must have felt when he couldn’t see above the crowd to catch a glimpse of Jesus. I’ve been in more than a few places and situations where I have struggled to see what’s happening at a concert, movie, or even church service because of a larger person standing or sitting in front of me. Sometimes I move to the right or left just to find a clear view; on other occasions, I just sigh and sit quietly, choosing instead to listen to what’s going on.

            I don’t know if I would have climbed a tree to get a better view of Jesus, although I have stood on benches and walls to watch parades and other public spectacles. It seems that the wee man was so desperate to see Jesus that he was willing to look ridiculous, after all, it’s usually children who climb trees to get a better view. I can imagine that the people around him laughed at Zacchaeus, diminishing his pride and self-esteem. Perhaps some of them felt like he deserved to be humiliated because he was despised for being a tax-collector and colluding with the Romans.

            I love what Jesus does to restore Zacchaeus’s dignity, as well as his soul. Our Savior does not laugh at the short tax-collector or rebuke him for working for the enemy. Christ doesn’t even ask to come to his house – look at the verse again – Jesus actually insists on going to his home. It’s a wonderful moment of acceptance and Zacchaeus responds immediately by climbing down and welcoming Christ gladly.

            This is an event which is filled with God’s love and grace. It reminds all of us – short, medium, or tall – that Jesus actively seeks to restore us to God’s Kingdom. All we have to do is to welcome Him gladly into our hearts and homes, which is where salvation begins and never ends.

Point to Ponder

Am I willing to let Jesus into my heart? If I welcome Him into my life, how will He change me?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank You for Your grace and acceptance. We know we are unworthy of those blessings, but we are also delighted that You are willing to grant them to us. Enable us to extend this blessing to all whom we encounter today. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also email John at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s tree drawings called ‘Season Finale.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Tree.

Bible devotion: Captives for Christ - 2 Corinthians 2:14

2 Corinthians 2:14     But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.

            In ancient Rome, when a military commander or great general came back to the Eternal City after a victorious campaign, a triumphal procession was given to honor both the leader, as well as the mightiness of Rome itself. Behind the victorious leader in his chariot, a procession of captives, made up of kings, chieftains, princes and other tribal leaders from the defeated region, would slowly march in chains after the glorified general. This was to publicly display how great a victory had been accomplished, as well as to humiliate the once-proud and defiant enemies of Rome.

            The apostle Paul used this public spectacle as a means of describing the followers of Christ. Jesus had triumphed over sin and death; His disciples and servants had been conquered by His Spirit, and so they became captives of Christ. Paul was declaring that Christians became prisoners of Christ, whose only purpose was to glorify how great a victory Christ had accomplished.

            In today’s post-modern individual idealist world, this is a very hard concept to accept. We are so used to being free spirits and independent that we find it difficult to embrace the idea that we are captives and prisoners of Christ. We tend to want God to do things for us; we feel that Jesus should support our ideas and opinions, beliefs and needs. Being servants of Jesus is a lot harder to accept that being served by God; becoming captives of Christ and His ways impinges on our personal freedom and individual choices. We want Jesus to accept us as we are and what we want to be; we flinch and push back against the chains of conformity, as well as the fetters of our faith. Pride prevents us from surrendering to Christ’s will, which is not only a sin, but is an act of defiance.

            As we set aside the great celebrations of Easter, let’s use this precious time to recalibrate our commitment to Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

Are we willing to become Christ’s captives in order to glorify His victory, or are we still hesitant to let go of what we want, in order to embrace His will?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we want to follow and serve You, but sometimes we are afraid to make a compelling and total commitment to You. Forgive us for being hesitant and help us to stop resisting Your ways. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is John’s latest Easter drawing called “Sacred Son Rise.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Son Rise.

Devotions for Church Meetings

It's almost the start of the Church Year, so many meetings will be taking place in congregations all over the land. Most meetings begin with a short devotion; this is why I have written a large series of devotional books for church meetings, team leaders, busy chairpersons, conveners, and staff.


Or you can specially link to the Amazon Kindle pages for two of my church meetings/ church staff devotional books by double clicking on the following links: