Luke 19:1-10 (NIV)

¹ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Come and See.

Follow Me.

Can I Stay with You?

Be with Me.

Curiosity

He wanted to see who Jesus was… v.3

Ingenuity

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him… v.4

Hospitality

So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. v. 6

Repentance

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” v.8

Salvation

Today salvation has come to this house… v.9

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Before beginning your time in the message and scripture passage, consider sharing answers to the following prompt: Have you ever gone out of your way to see someone or something you really cared about? Tell us about it.

CONNECT WITH GOD (Select one of the below practices or choose a practice from a different week.)

Attending to God through Art

Alone: Using the artwork Solitary Tree by Tom Close, highlighted on Sunday, September 28th (solanabeach.church/invited-series-artwork), spend quiet time reflecting and journaling on what you see in the piece. Pray that God quiets the many distractions within you and beyond you in order to focus on the gift of this artwork before you. As you focus on the painting, you might journal your reflections to the following questions: Where does God meet me in this photograph? What elements have held my attention, and why? 

Confession Breath Prayer (from Pray Like a Gourmet, David Brazzeal)

During a time of quiet stillness, allow your natural breathing to symbolize confession. As you exhale, think of one thing at a time that you wish to confess and release from your life. As you inhale, think of those things you long to breathe in and restore in your life.

Example: Exhale frustration–inhale peace. Exhale doubt–inhale assurance. Reactivity–Love. Selfishness–Giving

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

• Together or in smaller groups: Pray and Read Luke 19:1-10
• Alone: Read Luke 19:1-10
• Reflect/journal on the following prompt: 
• Where does your imagination or memory take you as you read this story about Zacchaeus and Jesus?  
• Can you remember a time when you felt truly “seen” by God or someone else? What did that mean to you?

• Together as a whole group: Share your questions about the passage. Encourage one another to engage their curiosity and questions. For now, let the questions be without an answer. A facilitator may jot down questions and themes to return to in depth at a later time. 

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

If needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.

• Review the main points from the sermon outline. 
• Share with one another what you notice about the themes of invitation in this passage.
• Which connections do you notice between the story of Zaccheaus and the previous two gospel texts in the series (Matthew 9:9-13, John 1:35-42)? 
• Who is Zacchaeus? How does that shape how you understand this passage? 
• Why is Zaccheaus in the tree? What is the perspective he’s seeking? 
• How might the encounter between Zacchaeus and Jesus help Zacchaeus understand himself more? 
• What is different or unique about the invitation of Jesus here? 
• How does the passage point to Jesus’ way in the world? 
• What is Jesus’ mission statement in Luke 19:1-10? 

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE 

Together: explore the quote below, in connection with Luke 19:1-10 and the themes of invitation, repentance, and salvation.  

“So once again Jesus finds himself relaxing in the company of the wrong sort of people. And once again the crowd outside grumbles. But this time, instead of Jesus telling a parable, the tax-collector himself speaks to Jesus in public, and gives evidence of his extravagant repentance. Repentance here isn’t just a change of heart; as in Judaism in general, repentance involves restoration and renewal, making amends. Zacchaeus is determined to do so lavishly. He doesn’t offer to sell all his property, nor does Jesus demand it. But by the time he’d given half of it away, and made fourfold restitution where necessary, we can imagine that he would find himself in seriously reduced circumstances.” -N.T. Wright, excerpt from Advent for Everyone, A Journey through Luke 

PRAYER 

Share one another’s burdens but also spend time praying for our city, country, and world. Close with the Lord’s Prayer.