A call to worship:
Rejoice in the Lord, for he calls us to be honest with him, offering his forgiveness, to teach us the way to go as we make our choices. Let us walk with him, in faith.
Amen.
O for a closer walk with God by Stuart Townend
O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb.
Where is the blessedness I knew
When I first saw the Lord?
Where is that soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His word?
O Fire of God, come burn in me
Renew a holy passion
Till Christ my deepest longing be
My never-failing fountain
My never-failing fountain
What peaceful hours I once enjoyed,
How sweet the memory still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill!
The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me tear if from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.
So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.
Bible Readings
Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, ‘I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.’
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding-place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus the tax collector
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’ 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.’
8 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.’
9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’
Reflection
The story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 v1-10 is a very familiar story in the Bible, one that is often taught to children. Zacchaeus was a rich tax collector in Jericho,
who was despised by many Jews for his association with Roman oppression, Jewish betrayal, and his personal greed.
Yet Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus from a distance without being seen, as Jesus was passing through Jericho.
Zacchaeus Position v 2-3
Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus and wanted to see who He was. He was an enemy of the Jews, hated because he collected taxes, often inflating the amount of tax people paid. His position made him wealthy but, also deeply detested by his fellow Jews as a collaborator with the Roman oppressors who often cheated people for personal gain. His job made him a sinful and dishonest man in the eyes of many Jews.
Zacchaeus Place v 4-7
He was man who wanted to see Jesus but was not keen to be seen. As he was physically short, this added to his difficulty seeing Jesus in the crowd and he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus hoping not to be seen. When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, He announced that he was going to stay at Zacchaeus house. Zacchaeus immediately came down and welcomed Jesus. The crowd were not so welcoming, muttering about his dishonesty.
Zacchaeus Possessions v8
He stood up and said to the Lord ‘Look Lord! Zacchaeus cleaned up his house and his life. There was a promise of restitution as Zacchaeus declared he would give half his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he cheated, four times the amount. Tom Wright says, ‘Jesus saw through the layers of graft and greed’ Jesus responded to him ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’
In Conclusion
Zacchaeus heard the words of Jesus ‘the son of man came to seek and save what was lost’, he changed his position, his place coming down to meet Jesus and he shared his possessions.
We can ask ourselves what is in my life today?
Our Position in Christ, Philippians 2 v 6 – 8 says ‘
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather,
he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!
In Galatians 2 v 20 it reveals
Our Place in Christ, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Jesus’ response was to affirm that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s home, highlighting His mission to find and save the lost. It demonstrates inclusion, showing Jesus’s willingness to associate with “sinners” and outcasts. It also illustrates repentance, showing genuine change of heart leading to restitution as well as redemption which authenticates no one is too far gone for God’s transformative love.
Prayers
Taken from the Methodist Prayer handbook 2025 / 2026 “Our story our song”.
Creator God, we adore you. All creation reflects your glory. You have made every person in our image. You welcome those who are vulnerable with open arms of compassionate acceptance. Redeemer God, we adore you.
All creation is bound together in you. Where the weak and broken lie bruised and discarded, you challenge the complacent, revealing the truth behind our lies and invite the wounded to your feast of life. Sustainer God, we adore you. All creation is inspired by you.
You breathe life into places of deathly fear; you increase our understanding of things hard to comprehend and draw us into your dance of loving joy.
God three in one, all creation sings of your great deeds. And we lift our voices in gratitude and praise.
Amen.
Andy Fyall, chair, Nottingham and Derby District.
The Lord's Prayer
Please use the version that you prefer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power
and the glory are yours
Now and for ever.
Amen.
What a friend we have in Jesus StF 531
What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy laden,
cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge–
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
you will find a solace there.
A sending out prayer:
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
