Devotion
Don't Miss the Joy
“So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. All who saw it began to complain, ‘He's gone to stay with a sinful man.’”
Luke 19:6-7
Two reactions collide. Zacchaeus welcomes Jesus with joy. The crowd grumbles that a sinner got in.
Here's the gut-check: the ones who got upset that the outsider got in weren't the sinners — it was the church crowd. The people who were already in, who figured they'd earned their spot and that guy hadn't. Some of us need to spend a lot less time grumbling that somebody else got grace, and a lot more time amazed that we did. The crowd looked at Zacchaeus and saw a lost cause; Jesus saw a lost son on his way home.
Practice
Be honest: is there someone whose welcome into God's family would secretly bother you — someone you don't think “deserves” it? Confess it. Ask God to trade your grumbling for the same joy Zacchaeus had. Remember that you, too, needed Jesus to come to your house.
Prayer
Father, keep me from the grumbling of the crowd. I don't want to resent the grace you give to others when I've received so much myself. Give me joy — real joy — when the far-off come home. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.