He [Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was about to pass that way. 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.” So he hurried and came down and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 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.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
(Luke 19:1-10 ESV)
I love this story. First for Zacchaeus, who is not a good man—he’s a chief tax collector, so you know he has to be cheating people left and right. But look at how eager he is to see Jesus! He doesn’t give a rip about his dignity. He climbs a tree to get a good, long look.
And then Jesus, who sees this guy in such an undignified position, and it doesn’t faze Him at all. He just tells the guy to get down out of the tree as quick as he can, because Jesus is inviting Himself into his home!
Who does that, inviting Himself into a stranger’s home? And not just any stranger, but a guy with such a rotten reputation!
Well, Jesus does that. No wonder Zacchaeus takes Him home joyfully. That little episode of the tree has changed his whole life.
And now that Jesus is in his home, Zacchaeus immediately cleans out his heart, too. He confesses his wrongdoing and tries to make amends. And Jesus is happy, because one more of His lost people is safe again.
I love this story because it shows me how Jesus deals with me, too. It doesn’t faze Him when He catches me in some completely embarrassing and undignified situation. No, He calls me out of it—because He intends to go home with me! How could I resist such love?
But that’s not all. Because Jesus is the One who went on to hang on the tree of the cross for my sake. His death there, and His resurrection, have changed my life forever. And now I have a place in Jesus’ own home, where all His forgiven people are welcome and happy forever.
We pray: Thank You, Lord, for coming home with me. Thank You for making me Yours. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on October 30, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. Why do you think Jesus invited Himself over, instead of waiting for Zacchaeus to ask Him first?
2. If Jesus came to your house, what would you do for Him?
Do you think the change in Zacchaeus was permanent? Why or why not?