8.13.23 Huddle
Opening Discussion
- Who is someone who went out of their way to reach out to you when others seemed to step away?
Read and Discuss
Luke 19:1-5 CSB
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”
- What does Luke tell us about Zacchaeus?
- Why were tax collectors not liked by the Israelites?
- What might be some reasons Zacchaeus was so excited about seeing Jesus?
- Why did Jesus pick Zacchaeus’s house to stay at?
- What are some other ways Jesus saw and interacted with people that other people passed by or overlooked?
- Who are some people today that are passed by or overlooked?
- What are some ways you have been cast aside?
- How can you help others this week that have been marginalized?
Luke 19:6-10 CSB
6 So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. 7 All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.”
9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
- Why was Zacchaeus joyful when he welcomed Jesus?
- Why did those around Zacchaeus grumble and complain and not rejoice with him?
- What changed within Zacchaeus?
- What did he do outwardly as a result of his inner change?
- Why do people tend to focus more on the outward change than the inner change when a person decides to follow Jesus?
- In your own life, what is a way you could focus on inner change this week?
- When it comes to heart change, what part of that is up to the Lord, and what part is up to us?
- If we are to follow Jesus’ example of seeking and saving the lost, what, if anything, would need to be different in your life?
Apply it!
- What is one way you can seek out someone who does not follow Jesus?
- God’s role in saving someone is to do the actual saving, but how can you help someone this week think more deeply about their faith, and get them closer to making that decision to follow Him?
Memorize it!
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Prayer TACOS
Thank the Lord for sending people in your life to help point you towards Him
Adoration- Worship the Lord for taking notice of us while we were still sinners
Confess to the times you have ignored those that the rest of the world ignores instead of reaching out to them in the name of Jesus
Others- Ask the Lord to show you who needs to hear about Him this week
Self- Pray for boldness to share the good news of Jesus with everyone you come in contact with this week
Closing thoughts
I love the story of Zacchaeus, because it shows the power of Jesus in a different way than healing, feeding 5,000 men, calming storms, and walking on water could. It shows the power Jesus has to completely change the trajectory of someone’s life, even in a single day. When Zacchaeus woke up that morning, he was leading a life of greed and selfishness. At the end of the day, he was generous and living his life to honor Jesus, not himself.
Yet, the crowds stood by and grumbled. “Why go to Zacchaeus’ house? He’s the worst. He doesn’t deserve it. I’m better than he is, and Jesus has never come to my house. Wait til Jesus finds out who Zacchaeus really is! Jerk! Loser. Shorty.”
But if I’m honest with myself, this is also true of me. I look at people, sinful people especially, and judge them. “They don’t deserve that promotion. I hope they mess up. Why do good things happen to them and not me?”
God calls us to be better than that. Loving our neighbor wasn’t just a suggestion. If we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, then loving our neighbor as ourselves will come naturally out of that. So if you find yourself grumbling about others, take a step back and ask yourself why your relationship with the Lord is off. Pray that He would change your thinking and make you more like Him. Go out this week and find a Zaccheaus who has been pushed aside by everyone else and take time to show them the love of Jesus like they’ve never seen it before.