THE question “What excites Jesus?” came from a messenger chat with my friend Rev. Rollivic Tira, the pastor of Greenhills Christian Fellowship in Makati. Both of us found this question worth the digging. So, I prayed to God to show me from His word what excites Jesus?
I’m so fascinated to be led to this verse in the gospel of Luke 19:5 it says: "When Jesus came by, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. 'Zacchaeus!' he said. 'Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.'"
Can you sense the excitement of Jesus? How is it the same or different from your excitement? Because what excites you tells a lot about you! Following this line of thought, what excites Jesus tells us a lot about Jesus. “Quick, come down” were words of excitement. Very rare in the Bible that you find a record that Jesus is in a hurry. He takes his time and not under pressure by the demands of the urgent. “Quick come down” is addressed to Zacchaeus, a corrupt tax collector, who climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus. Climbing the tree has a lot of implications, first, he needs a good location to see Jesus for Zacchaeus is short. Not only that, being a tax collector, he is hated. Hated for being a traitor to the Jewish nation serving as a collaborator for the Roman Rule. Hated because he is without a doubt notorious and corrupt! Thank God for sycamore trees that serve as a venue for meeting God.
What excites Jesus? Is to have dinner with a sinner in his house! Whoa! Some protocols are not followed here, Jesus really invited himself, the excited Savior meets the surprised sinner! He called him by the name “Zacchaeus,” he gave the contagious gesture of welcome and the gracious offer of friendship. When you are invited to be a guest or when you are welcomed to be a guest in someone’s house, it’s a deep sign of friendship! Oh, you need to read the rest of the story. The meeting at the sycamore tree that ended with a dinner in a sinner’s home eventually transformed the corrupt man into someone unbelievably generous. This is what Zacchaeus said recorded in Luke 19:8: “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
What excites Jesus? Is to call your name and invite Himself into your life and if you say yes, He will have dinner with you, not minding what others say. Would you come down from your sycamore tree and have dinner with Jesus? That’s what excites Jesus, what about you, what excites you? Remember what excites you tells a lot about you. Jesus what a friend of sinners, this is getting my attention, a bubbling excitement in my heart. Thanks, Pastor Rollivic for stirring my heart.