Hey everyone. I’m Rachel Keeler, and I’m the newest member of the Grace Chapel team. I joined the staff at the end of March as Pastor of Women’s Groups and Leader Development. I’m coming to you this morning from my backyard in Belmont. This is my happy place—I love to be out here. It’s definitely been a saving grace of this time that we’re stuck at home.

 

Just from talking to people in my own circles, I sense that this pandemic is affecting us all very differently. Some of my friends are busier than ever, and some are way less busy. Some are terrified of getting the virus, some have already had it, some are working on the front lines, treating people who have it. Some are anxious about losing their jobs, or have already lost them. So it’s affecting all of us differently, but I think there are a couple of changes that almost all of us are experiencing.

 

Almost all of us are spending more time at home. We can’t go to restaurants, or to the movies, or to the gym or the library. Many people are working from home, kids are doing school from home—we’re even going to church from home! And most of us have also significantly reduced the number of people we’re spending time with in person. Almost all of us have people we would normally be spending time with, who we just can’t be with right now. I think for many of us, that’s one of the hardest parts of all this.

 

It occurs to me that there’s an opportunity here, while we’re spending so much more time at home, and while we’re not able to have friends and family over, to invite Jesus into our homes in a new way. During his earthly ministry, Jesus was constantly going into people’s homes. He went into people’s homes to heal the sick, to spend time with his friends, and most often, it seems, to have dinner with those he was calling to follow him.

 

One of my favorite stories about Jesus going to someone’s home is the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:

 

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.”

 

Put yourself in Zacchaeus’s shoes for a minute. If you heard that Jesus was about to pass by, wouldn’t you do just about anything to be able to catch a glimpse of him? Imagine that you’re Zacchaeus, you’re in the middle of the city of Jericho and there’s a huge crowd of people, it’s so crowded you can’t see anything at all. So you climb up that tree, and Jesus calls out to you: “I must stay at your house today.” How would you feel?

 

If you’ve never prayed this way before—imagining yourself in a scene in the Gospel—maybe this season when we’re all spending so much time at home is a good time to give it a try. Zacchaeus’s story is a great one to start with, because it’s got such vivid images. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Read the passage over a few times, until you’ve really got it in your head. Then close your eyes, and try to imagine it all.

 

Place yourself in the scene, and try to imagine all the details—the sights, the sounds, the smells, the feeling of being there. Imagine the town of Jericho, imagine Jesus and his disciples passing through. Picture the crowd gathering to see him pass, and imagine climbing up the tree to get a glimpse of him. Imagine Jesus meeting your eyes, approaching you, inviting himself over, saying to you, “I must stay at your house today.” Imagine responding to him.

 

Can you imagine Jesus walking in to your house today? What would you say to him? What would you talk about? What things happening in your home these days would you like his help with? Allow the scene you imagine to lead you into a conversation with Jesus.

 

For me, this way of praying has been the spark for conversations with Jesus that I treasure. It has been one of the best ways for me to spend time with Jesus and get to know him and love him. And then when I read or hear these passages again later, they are so much richer for me than they had been before. They are now places where I have met the Lord.

 

We’re all kind of stuck in our homes these days. That can be really hard, for all of us. But maybe there’s also an opportunity here, in this strange time, to take another step in our walk with the Lord. Jesus is inviting himself to our house, and we can let him in.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us, sinners. We thank you for inviting yourself into our homes today, just as you once invited yourself to Zacchaeus’s house. Thank you for offering salvation to this house today. Open our hearts to welcome you gladly. Open our eyes to see you more clearly. Open our ears to hear your voice, calling us to follow you. Be with us in our homes today, Lord. Help us to keep you at the center of our homes and to build our home life on the firm foundation of your love and your grace. Amen.