Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Luke 19:1-10
Question, what would you do if Jesus comes to your house for dinner?
There was a classic movie about 52 years ago around 1967, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” Its stars Kathern Hepburn, Tracy Spencer, Sydney Poitier and Katharine Houghton (Kathern Hepburn’s niece).
It’s about a twenty-three-year-old Joanna Drayton who made an unannounced early return from her Hawaiian vacation that brought about when she brings home her new fiancé to her upper-class family in San Francisco. Joanna’s parents didn’t know that the new fiancé is a Negro. And here’s the kicker, they only met 10 days prior and he’s a physician and medical professor whose wife and young son was killed in a train accident eight years earlier. Once the girl’s parents realized about her fiancé is and the doctor’s parent meet the new in-laws, things gets
strange and funny.
Well, this story in your hearing doesn’t go bad but more interesting in fact.
The man in this story Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was passing by. You see Zacchaeus was the Chief Tax Collector; a wealthy man and was said to be wicked, wanted to see Jesus but he was short in height. So, he climbed up a sycamore tree. And so, Jesus looked up and call him down from that tree and that’s when Jesus told Zacchaeus to climb down from that tree. Why Jesus? Guess who’s coming to dinner?
From studying this Scripture, here are some observations found:
I. Jesus Had Travel Plans
Jesus “entered and was passing through Jericho” (v. 1). This is a subtle reminder that Jesus is nearing the end of his journey to Jerusalem and his cross—a journey that began at 9:51 and will end shortly with his arrival in Jerusalem (19:28 ff.). Jericho is a wealthy city. It occupies a strategic position astride the road to Jerusalem and near a Jordan River
crossing, and is a center of commerce and Jesus was just passing through. Jesus had a “travel agent” and that is the Holy Spirit.
II. Zacchaeus Knew A Good Thing Coming His Way In verse 5, Jesus looked up there Zacchaeus was there in that same tree and so Zacchaeus climbed down the tree because Jesus told him to come down because he wanted to have a meal with Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus knew right then when he saw Jesus, something good was coming his way. Once you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, be assure, be very assure that while meeting Jesus, something good will come your way.
III. The “Trolls” Will Be Watching You. Sometime in our lives, there are folks who do nothing but complain, complain, complain. Gripe about everything about everybody. Now, these are the ones we’re just call them “trolls”. From Wikipedia: In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such
as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. The Scripture tells us first of all, “Do all things without murmuring and disputing.” Philippians 2:14. Secondly,” Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door” James 5:9. There will be trolls in all of our lives; even Jesus had trolls in His day. In verse 7, there were some on-lookers who saw Zacchaeus invited Jesus to his house. “He (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of a sinner”. These are the ones with that “stinkin’ thinkin’” that will simply destroy you just like those people who was watching Jesus in this story and the so-called Jewish leaders of that day.
IV.A Strong Commitment. Psalm 37:5 tells us to “Commit your way to the Lord, trust always in Him, and He will do it”. After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus was willing to make a commitment to Jesus and whoever is listening to give half of his possessions to the poor. He even made the commitment if he cheated anyone, that he will pay back four times, four times the amount. How much of a commitment we can make? Treating your neighbor, the right? Commit to being a good Christian? Commit to being a good husband, a good wife? The Scriptures tells us to “Commit your works to the Lord and plans will be established” Proverbs 6. What are YOU committed too?
V. There is Salvation for you today. The Bible specifically says, without any other possible interpretation, that there is only one God, one faith, one baptism, and one way to God the Father – and that is only through His Son Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death on the cross.
Jesus says that He, and only He, is the way, the truth, and the life leading to God the Father and that no one comes to the Father except through Him! Just like Zacchaeus, Jesus is offering salvation for you today. Don’t let Jesus pass you by as He offers you Salvation for you.
Finally, I want to leave a thought in your ear and you're in your heart.
If Jesus came to your House
If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you’d do.
Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room
To such an honored guest
And all the food you’d give to Him
Would be the very best.
And you would keep assuring Him
You’re glad to have Him there–
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.
But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door?
With arms outstretched in welcome
To your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some magazines
And put the Bible where they’d been
Would you hide your worldly music?
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder – if the Savior
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the
things you always do?
Would you go right on saying, the
things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?
Would you take Jesus with you?
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
plans for just a day or so?
Would you be glad to have Him?
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him?
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you.
