Divine Dining March 30, 2026 Devotional

LUKE 19:5-6 | ⁵ When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.

Many things can be barriers to finding faith in Jesus. Zaccheus’ stature meant he could not see his potential Lord in a crowd of taller people. Physical impediment must sometimes be overcome to make a way to encounter. Some have no access to Scripture or community, some are deaf to the sounds of proclamation, some can’t walk to church. Part of outreach is overcoming barriers, as Zaccheus the seeker tries to do. He climbs a tree.

But the good news is that a true seeker is really someone willing to be found. Jesus initiates the encounter, extends the moment into a meal, offers the public support to overcome the danger of the     notorious Zaccheus. Our Lord is the true Seeker! He seeks us and the issue is our openness to Him.

Now the church must deconstruct as many barriers to allow these encounters to happen. We must be open to the stranger, to the atheist, and our work must be accessible to the outsider and the untutored. Most of all, our way of following Jesus must be authentic and intriguing to seekers, and not itself an impediment.

Do you know any seekers? What are their impediments?

Gracious God,

Let my life shine a little with Your goodness. May I work to remove barriers to faith and encounters. I ask in the name of Your Son, the great Seeker.

Amen.