In his excellent little book, My Heart, Christ's Home, Robert Boyd Munger writes of Jesus coming to his home and describes his sense of embarrassment when the Lord begins walking around. Imagine what it would be like to have Jesus come to your home and actually visit, especially if you weren't expecting Him?
The Bible unfolds this very scenario in Luke 19 and introduces us to a man named Zacchaeus. Into his home walked the Creator of the universe in human form.
Zacchaeus was a successful businessman, a chief tax collector. In those days, there were three primary places where taxes were collected: Capernaum, Jerusalem, and Jericho. Zacchaeus, being the chief tax collector in Jericho, was over one of the "Big Three." He was head of a tax farming cooperation with collectors who extorted the people and paid him before he paid the Romans. You might say that he was the kingpin of the Jericho tax cartel. He was hated, despised, and isolated by his fellow Jews.
But Jesus had a different view of Zacchaeus. He assessed him this way: "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) In other words, Jesus saw the real problem with Zacchaeus. He did these things because he was lost.
As Jesus came into town, Zacchaeus could not see over the crowd. So, he sprinted down the street and scurried up a tree, trying to catch a glimpse of Him. In this culture, it was considered undignified for an older man to run. If you were a government official, you did not do something like this. It was not appropriate. But Zacchaeus didn't care. He wanted to see Jesus.
Here came Jesus with the crowd. They were pushing and pulling, amidst a lot of noise and excitement. Suddenly, as the Lord passed by, He stopped, looked up at Zacchaeus, and called out his name.
Everyone stopped and looked at Zacchaeus. I doubt they were looking at him with love. They were probably thinking, "Let's cut this tree down with this creep in it." But I believe Jesus' look was different than the rest. I think His look was one of love and compassion.
Jesus told him, "Make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." Can you imagine the excitement that filled the heart of Zacchaeus? He probably came down that tree a lot more quickly than he went up.
Jesus and Zacchaeus momentarily disappeared from the crowd. They had a conversation that changed the course of this chief tax collector's life. Something dramatic happened during that visit, but Scripture doesn't reveal what it was. It is clear that Zacchaeus came out a different man than when he went in.
Zacchaeus realized that Jesus was not merely a guest in his home, but in reality, the host. How important it is that we make this same discovery: once we have given our lives to Jesus, we are under His command.
When we have placed our faith in Jesus, we are no longer our own. It is not even correct for a believer to say, "my future, my life, my plans, my career, my family." Rather, a believer should say, "Now I belong to the Lord, and I want to do what He wants me to do."
The Apostle Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus, that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17). A literal translation of this statement would be, "My prayer is that Christ would settle down in your heart and finally be in your home, that He would settle down as a family member." It was the idea of Christ being at home in their hearts and lives.
Clearly, this change had taken place in Zacchaeus. Salvation had come to him. He was no longer the same man.
Can someone see by the evidence in your life that salvation has come to you? Jesus may be calling your name right now, wanting to settle down in your heart. Maybe you are treating Him like a guest, an honored guest, granted, but a guest nonetheless.
Is Jesus at home in your life right now? Does He have free reign? Can He do what He wants to do?
Jesus wants to help you and change you. Like Zacchaeus, welcome Him into your life and let Him have His way. If He does throw something out, just know that He will put something better in its place.
