By John Wight of Blue Springs, Missouri USA
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.” So, he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.
It seems clear that Zacchaeus was excited to welcome Jesus into his home. But from the remainder of this scripture story, it also seems clear that he did not just welcome Jesus into his house for a meal—he also welcomed Jesus into his life. His declaration about giving half of his possessions to the poor and paying back anyone he had defrauded would indicate that he truly welcomed Jesus into his life by embracing and living out His message and mission.
This message is similarly heard in Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” When we reach out to the least, the lost, the lonely, we are, in essence, welcoming Jesus.
I learned something about this as a seven-year-old child when my family was living in Memphis, Tennessee, where my father was serving as a world church minister. Sometimes money was quite scarce, especially at the end of the month before our family allowance check arrived. And, hence, sometimes food was scarce as well.
On one occasion, when my dad was on a three-week mission trip, food, indeed, had become quite scarce and my mom was concerned about how she would feed us kids. To her great surprise and relief, when she opened the back door one day, she found two full bags of groceries. The one who left the groceries did not do it for his/her own glorification, (to this day, I do not know who left that amazing gift) but as a way of “welcoming Jesus.”
That story has served me for more than 60 years as a wonderful example of what Jesus’ message in Matthew really means about welcoming Him when we reach out to those who are hungry, or thirsty, or a lonely stranger, or naked, or sick, or even in prison. In other words, it taught me something about what it really means to welcome Jesus fully and completely.
How will you welcome Jesus this week?
Prayer Phrase
“…do good and share what you have” (Hebrews 13:16).
Enough and to Spare
Take three slow, deep breaths. As you inhale, silently say, “There is enough.” As you exhale, say, “And more to share.” Then name aloud or write down three ways you already experience God’s generosity in your life—big or small. End by asking, “How can I share from what I’ve been given today?”
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.