Gospel & Trees, Week 1: Tap And Shallow
Scripture: Luke 19:1–10
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.”
Devotion
Zacchaeus climbs high, searching for something he cannot name. Jesus calls him down and names it for him: belonging and grace. The tap root of this story lies in Jesus’ words, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” It reaches deep into the soil of divine love, drawing the nutrients of mercy that sustain faith. The shallow roots stretch wide when Jesus says, “This man too is a son of Abraham.” Those roots of community, heritage, and inclusion hold us in place.
Healthy trees need both: depth to reach the water and width to hold against the wind. Discipleship that goes deep into God’s love and wide into human connection stands strong through both drought and storm.
Questions
Where in your spiritual life do you sense a need for deeper roots in God’s love?
How might your “shallow roots” of relationships and community ties hold you steady in seasons of change?
What practices could help you balance depth and breadth in your walk with Christ?
John Wesley
“The gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.”
Faith is both deeply personal and inherently communal. Faith is rooted in grace and sustained by connection.
Prayer
Gracious God, you sent your Son to seek and save the lost. Sink our roots deep into your love and spread them wide into the soil of community. When storms come, hold us steady in both grace and fellowship. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.