Scripture: Luke

On the path to life through death, we are renewed as our hearts see Jesus through the Word, in close community with fellow disciples.

Jesus gave his disciples a rich gift in the Lord’s Supper: a simple meal through which to renew our shared identity as God’s people and to anticipate feasting with our Lord in his coming kingdom.

Jesus initiated to bring Zacchaeus – and you – into His eternal kingdom; you are now a channel for His initiative in others.

On the surface of this account, we see Jesus challenging the common thinking of the day. But after looking closely, we see his continuous heart of compassion toward everyone. And the more we understand his heart, the more we understand that Jesus also has the same heart toward us all the time!

Consider: What sparks the harshest rebukes of Jesus?

This was a unique meal with Jesus in the sense that none of the disciples wrote down anything Jesus said during the meal, but it was a meal that none of them would forget. They learned a lesson that also will help you and me in our challenging situations.

What in Jesus made all sorts of different people want to invite Him? What would that look like in us?

Out of our love for Christ, we aim to join God in His mission of creating a community of lives transformed by the gospel. 

People tend to focus on rules more than relationship. This is true among Christians today, and it was true among the people who associated with Jesus. As Jesus feasted at a joyful celebration at Levi’s house, we see these issues come to the forefront of the party, as described in Luke 5. This is an important example for us to learn from.