When Jesus Comes Home

On Sunday 2nd November we continued our journey through Luke’s Gospel by looking at the well–known story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1–10. It is a familiar children’s story, but in many ways it is one of the clearest windows we have into the heart of Jesus and the way his kingdom works.

Zacchaeus: Wealthy but Empty

Luke introduces Zacchaeus as a chief tax collector in Jericho. He is powerful, well–connected and extremely wealthy, but he is also despised. He has aligned himself with the occupying Roman power and grown rich through corruption. By every social and religious measure he is on the outside. Yet for all his success, there is a deep spiritual poverty: he is curious, he is searching, he is climbing trees just to catch a glimpse of Jesus as he passes by.

Luke wants us to read Zacchaeus alongside the “rich young ruler” in the previous chapter. One man looked like the perfect disciple and walks away sad. The other looks like the last person Jesus should choose and ends up transformed. The point is clear: the kingdom is not for those who think they are sorted, but for those who know they are lost.

Seen, Known, Called by Name

As the crowds press in, Jesus does something utterly unexpected. He stops, looks up into the tree and calls, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus is not simply noticed, he is known. Jesus calls him by name and publicly identifies with him by choosing to share his table.

In that culture to enter someone’s home was to say, “This person is my friend.” No wonder the crowd begins to mutter: “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But this is exactly the point. Luke shows us again that the Son of Man has not come for the respectable, self–reliant religious performers, but for those who are spiritually sick, weary and aware of their need.

Grace That Transforms

When Jesus comes home with Zacchaeus, everything changes. We are not told the conversation around the table, but we see the fruit. Zacchaeus stands up and promises to give half of his possessions to the poor and to repay anyone he has cheated four times over. This goes far beyond what the law required. It is not a calculated religious duty; it is the overflow of a heart that has been seized by grace.

In contrast to the rich young ruler, who could not let go of his possessions, Zacchaeus gladly loosens his grip on wealth because he has found something better in Christ. Jesus then declares: “Today salvation has come to this house… For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Salvation is not just an idea, it is the living presence of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, bringing forgiveness, new priorities and a new way of life.

What Does This Mean for Us?

As a church family in North Belfast, this story asks us hard but hopeful questions. We have been here for many years, and in every generation God has been seeking and saving people through the witness of his people in this place. The question now is: will we continue to share the heart of Jesus for those who are on the edges, overlooked or written off?

Are we willing to become a church that some might grumble about because of the people we welcome, the homes we enter, and the company we keep for the sake of the gospel? Are we ready to practice radical hospitality, to move towards the weary, the broken and the outcast so that they too might hear the call of Jesus and discover that salvation can come to their house as well?

Like Zacchaeus, we are invited to climb down from whatever “tree” we are hiding in, to let go of our illusions of control, and to welcome Jesus into every part of our lives. And like Zacchaeus, we are then sent back into our streets and communities as people who have been found, so that we might seek others in his name.

Listen to the Full Sermon

This short summary can only scratch the surface of the passage and its challenge for us as a church in North Belfast. To hear the full message on Luke 19:1–10 and to reflect more deeply on what it means when Jesus comes home, you can listen to the sermon via our podcast:

We would love to see you in person on Sunday as we gather to worship, hear God’s Word and encourage one another to follow Jesus in everyday life.