READ: LUKE 5:31-32; 19:1-10

Ever feel like people don’t like you? That loneliness feels horrible. Even worse? When people say you deserve that loneliness because of something you did. That’s what Zacchaeus must have felt every day. He cheated people out of money, so his whole town shunned him.

When Jesus came into town, Zacchaeus didn’t stand in the crowd to watch Him. He climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. And as the Savior passed that way, the story takes an unexpected turn. Jesus called out to Zacchaeus: “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today” (Luke 19:5).

By saying He wanted to go to Zacchaeus’s house, Jesus was basically telling everyone that Zacchaeus was His friend. The crowd was shocked: Why would Jesus ever want to be friends with such a bad person? Weren’t there people who had lived better lives and deserved to spend time with Jesus?

The crowd was completely missing the point. Jesus said He “came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 ). He didn’t come to tell all the “good” people how good they were. He came to rescue the people who weren’t doing so good. He came for the cheaters, the liars, and the sinners. And, because of Jesus, sinners’ lives are changed. After Zacchaeus met Jesus, he gave more money away than he’d ever taken.

For being Zacchaeus’s friend, Jesus had to pay a price. People talked about Him behind His back and rejected Him because He spent time with Zacchaeus. Even greater than that sacrifice, Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave so that Zacchaeus could be with Him forever.

The very best news of these verses, and of the whole Bible, is that Jesus did this for you too. The reality is, there are no “good” people. We all mess up; we all sin. Sinning makes you feel horrible about yourself, and others are often quick to judge you for your struggles.

When you’ve been told you’re unworthy because of what you’ve done, remember this: Jesus didn’t come for those who thought they deserved Him. He came for Zacchaeus, who knew he didn’t. And He came for you too. • Thom de Boo

• What makes you feel unworthy? Can you think of any moments when you’ve made others feel like outsiders, like they deserved loneliness? Consider taking some time to pray, bringing Jesus whatever hurts or wrongs come to mind and thanking Him for His great love and forgiveness.

[Jesus said,] “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Luke 19:10 (NLT)