The NIV 365 Day Devotional
What can I learn from Jesus about sharing my faith?
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore- fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 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.”
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”Luke 19:1-10
When Jesus walked through the crowds in Jericho, he saw Zacchaeus in a tree. Imagine the details that Jesus probably noticed. He no doubt observed that Zacchaeus was perched up high for a better view, not caring how ridiculous he looked. The tree climbing told Jesus about the Zacchaeus’s inner desire —his interest in knowing more about Jesus.
With that information, Jesus’ next move was to invite himself over to Zacchaeus’s house for dinner. And that very day Zacchaeus started a new life with Jesus (vv. 8 –10).
Pay close attention when you’re interacting with others, and you may make the same sort of life-changing connections. When you watch people, imagine what they’re feeling and thinking. You’ll be surprised at how much you can connect with a person when you focus on finding out what’s going on below the surface. This in turn will help you identify opportunities to discuss your faith in a way that is meaningful to them. Chances are good that somebody’s hanging around like Zacchaeus, hoping you’ll look their way.
Taken from the NIV Quest Study Bible for Teens.