He wasn’t dressed up in his best clothes, a good thing under the circumstances. His beard may not have been tidied up that day Undoubtedly, he was dusty and sweaty from the heat of the day and clambering up a tree. His home certainly wasn’t ready for visitors. There was no time to clean up and tidy up when Jesus said to Zacchaeus ‘I must stay at your house today.’
On arrival would Jesus have seen the table cluttered with the implements of his trade, weighing scales, calculations, the odd coin. Jesus was going to see him just as he was, untidy, unkempt, unprepared and utterly amazed. When we invite Jesus into our hearts we don’t have to clean up first. There is no point in waiting until we have our sin under control before asking Him into our lives. We can’t delay until we are older and wiser. Jesus says, ‘I must come into your heart, today.’
When I was a child I received a delightful little book by Joan Gale Thomas entitled ‘If Jesus came to my House.’ Written in rhyme I was asked to consider what it would be like if the boy Jesus did come to my house.
‘I’d run downstairs to meet Him, the door I’d open wide
and I would sat to Jesus, won ‘t You’ come inside.’
After sharing my toys, secret places and fears, I would then realise that Jesus couldn’t physically come to my house but I could go to His (his church) and I could do for others what I couldn’t actually do for Jesus.
‘I still can share with Jesus the nicest of my toys
by lending them or giving them to other girls and boys.’