“zaccheus, hurry and come down, because today i must stay at your house.” luke 19:5

ever watch the price is right? the audience members listen and watch as, one by one, new names are called. each round is more exciting than the ones before, as participants wait with hopeful anticipation to see who will be chosen next.

“jaidyn white… come on down!”

“jeremy johnson… come on down!”

“hannah jackson…. come on down!” you’re the next contestant on the price is right!”

i wonder if zaccheus had any idea that day, up in the tree, that the man of the hour would call his name to “hurry and come down?” his name. zaccheus. the crooked tax collector with no friends. hated by most, tolerated by a few. of all those gathered to meet and greet Jesus in jericho that day, i bet none would have guessed that zaccheus would be pursued by Jesus.

“zaccheus! yes, you, zaccheus, come on down! you’re the next host for a dinner with Jesus!”

i’d like to have seen the look on zaccheus’ face at that moment.

because it wasn’t zaccheus’ agenda to engage Jesus.

he just wanted to see who he was.

but it WAS Jesus’ agenda to engage zaccheus.

yeah. it was.

not only was it Jesus’ agenda to have a little fun and conversation with zaccheus, he wanted to visit him and stay in his home! a rotten, lying sinner. yep. his house was probably a mess. dirty money hidden all over the place. doctored up books. stolen goods.

and yet.

Jesus pursued him.

why would Jesus do that?

well, he did it all the time.

he never pursued those who thought they were doing alright. he went after those who knew, deep down, that they were desperate and couldn’t save themselves.

i love that about Jesus.

i love that he pursues us.

we don’t ever have to go looking for a savior.

he’s been pursuing us our whole lives.

that’s what the birth of Christ is all about.

heaven touching earth.

not the other way around.

then we would be our own saviors.

and well, that’s just religion.

no.

Jesus comes after us. with an invitation. just like zaccheus.

“hey, ______________ (your name) hurry and come down! because today I must stay at your house! don’t you know i have loved you since before i knit you together inside your momma’s belly? i dance with delight every time you wonder about me, talk to me, question me, and cry out to me. i live for it. i was born for it. i died for it. for you. to engage you.”

relationship with Jesus changed zaccheus. it did.

like on the spot.

even before they went to the house.

right there, in the middle of the street, zaccheus declared that he would give half his possessions to the poor, and whatever he had extorted from anyone, he would pay back four times as much.

FOUR. TIMES.

y’all.

that’s radical.

just hearing Jesus call his name, zaccheus was undone.

changed.

never the same.

so, what about us?

will we have ears for his voice, in the midst of all the others?

and if we do, how will we respond?

HEAR his voice, calling your name at this very moment.

“hurry and come down!

today i must stay at your house.”

how will you answer?

will you trust him to do

a radical, unexpected, unexplainable, miraculous, thing in YOU

from the inside out?