“For Today, I Must Stay at Your House” by Melanie Rigney

“For Today, I Must Stay at Your House” by Melanie Rigney

Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious

“I know your works; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,’ and yet do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:15-17)

I will seat the victor beside me on my throne. (Revelation 3:21)

When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today, I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. (Luke 19:5-6)

Piety

Jesus, set me on fire.

Study

Zacchaeus was a wealthy chief tax collector. He was also short, so he climbed a tree to see Jesus walk past. There’s no indication he actually expected to interact with the holy man; he just wanted to see Him.

Then, WHAM, suddenly, Jesus is calling him out by name and inviting Himself to Zacchaeus’ home!

Some might have been taken aback—remember, he wanted to see Jesus, not necessarily have him over to the house. But not Zacchaeus. He’s excited and pledges to give away half his possessions and make reparations to any he has harmed.

It’s pretty easy to see Jesus walk past. I look at the line drawing of Saint Teresa of Calcutta in my bedroom or the Saint Francis Cabrini refrigerator magnet I keep in my office. Now, a couple of women welcomed Jesus into their home and kept welcoming him, even during times of spiritual dryness or physical ailments or worldly obstacles.

What is not so easy for me is to go from the participant sport of watching Jesus to the participatory activity of letting Him into my home. It’s sooo much easier to be an armchair, lukewarm Christian.

But as we’re told in the Book of Revelation, lukewarm Christians get spit out. So today, let’s remember we may be “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” amid our tangible wealth… and despite all that, Jesus still wants to come in.

Action

Say yes to Jesus. Let Him stay at your house today. There’s no place He’d rather be.

 

Image credit is Randers Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; link is https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Niels_Larsen_Stevns-_Zak%C3%A6us.jpg