Kyle Olson 0:08
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the Word of God. It's Wednesday, March 6, it's the season of Lent and we're walking with Jesus. We're reading from The Voice translation of Luke 19, verses 5 through 7.
Kyle Olson 0:27
Jesus comes along and looks up into the tree and there he sees Zaccheus. Jesus: Zaccheus, hurry down from that tree because I need to stay at your house tonight. Zaccheus scrambles down and joyfully brings Jesus back to his house. Now the crowd sees this, and they’re upset. Crowd (grumbling): Jesus has become the houseguest of this fellow who is a notorious sinner.
Kyle Olson 0:57
Let's pray. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you for your grace and thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your stories about inviting yourself over to someone's house, even though they were a notorious sinner in the eyes of the crowd - and most likely, in the eyes of you and your father. Help us to accept your invitation to come to our house and eat dinner with us every day. Help us to turn that story around as well so that we may be your hands and feet and invite ourselves over (or invite people over), that we may not normally hang out with. And here's the thing, Lord: we struggle with people that are different. We struggle with people that are not in our normal circle. We ask for your help, we ask for your eyes and that (probably) warm smile that Jesus gave to Zacchaeus when he said, "I'm coming over to your house tonight." May we be Kingdom builders and community builders in our house, in our communities and in our neighborhoods so that people will know that you are our Lord and we follow you with everything that we do. In your name, amen.