Today I must abide at thy house. What a tremendous statement! Of all people, Jesus said this to Zacchaeus. He said he must stay at his house. That sounds sort of intrusive doesn’t it. What if someone came up to you and said I’m going home with you today and I’m going to stay a while. Zacchaeus had not met Jesus before but Jesus told him to come down from the tree. How many of us would have stayed there and not come down? It was a must for Jesus to go home with Zacchaeus. We need Jesus. He’s willing to not only come to visit; he wants to stay. We shouldn’t be afraid. It might trouble us, but it’s for our good. When the Lord goes home with us and we let him stay, it might uncover some stones and open some closets; but it will lead to repentance that we won’t be sorry for.
Luke 19:1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
Jesus is not just here with us in his house; he’s at our house. Our greatest necessity is to have Jesus stay with us. If we let him in, he won’t let us down. It’s up to us. Do we want him to go home with us? Is he welcome in every room and corner of your house? We all have a public life, a home life, and a personal life. The best physiatrist can’t really know us. Doctors make mistakes. Jesus is the doctor who has never made a mistake. He knows our mind and heart, every known thing and the unknown. He even knows what we don’t know yet. So, if he’s that nosey do you want him to go home with you? He’s not nosey; he just knows! He’s not prying or judging. He wants to come home and help us. Verses 9-10 say “And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” That old publican! Did Jesus come to stomp him out of existence? No! He came to save and fix in him what was wrong. As Zacchaeus trusted Jesus, then Jesus went home with him and took it from there.
I’d say the next morning that Zacchaeus begged Jesus not to go. When we let Jesus in and open every door to the Lord; when we’re honest and receptive to him, ashamed of a corner or spill or broken window in the house, we’re admitting that we’ve made a mess. We tell him “my house is your house.” If we mean it, we’ll then beg him not to leave. He’ll help us so much. This is a personal truth for us. Jesus is a public Savior. He came for us all. He taught for all. When he spoke to individuals it applied to all. When he suffered it was publically. False witnesses testified and the multitude called for him to be done away with. He died publically for all–for them and for you and me. What he did won’t do us a bit of good if we only associate with Jesus in his house. He must abide at our house. While he’s calling, let him come home. Don’t harden your heart so that you don’t hear him. Listen to the call: “I must abide at your house.” Praise God for a Savior who loves me and isn’t ashamed to come home with me!
He’ll clean up the mess that we’ve made if we surrender our house to him. In Christ Jesus old things are passed away and all things are become new. He can turn your life around no matter how broken and bound the house may be. You may be backslidden and as far from the will of God as can be. You may be faking it. The prodigal left home but when he returned the father welcomed him with open arms and cleaned him up. That’s the Lord! He wants to come into your house, your life, your soul. Don’t be like the Laodoceans and put him outside the door.
Think about it. Jesus went home with many people: Peter, Simon, Jairus. He even went to the graveyard where a demoniac lived and set him free. He thought there was no hope but Jesus knew it was possible. There were 12,000 demons in that man but they couldn’t stand against one Savior! The man wanted help and Jesus knew it. He commanded those demons to come out of the man. They went into a herd of swine and they jumped off a cliff. They died but that man was free. He was cleaned up and in his right mind and he wanted Jesus to stay.
Let your home be Jesus’ home. Let your personal life be Jesus’ home. Let him be yours and he’ll abide with you–he’ll live with you! Is there anyone better than Jesus to live with you! He lives with and in us. Come to him now and he’ll go home with you. Today he must abide at your house.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 