Before the Remodel

Oct 04, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Sycamore Branches and Unfinished Tents

Jesus meets us in our hidden messes, not our polished presentations. Like Zacchaeus perched in a tree or refugees offering cracked cups in muddy tents, God prioritizes presence over perfection. The Savior interrupts our attempts to self-clean, calling us down from hiding places into vulnerable connection. True hospitality begins when we stop apologizing for the mess and start embracing shared moments. Transformation happens not after we tidy our lives, but amid the clutter of honest relationship. [51:58]

“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.” (Luke 19:1-4, NLT)

Reflection: Where have you been waiting to “clean up” before inviting Jesus into a situation? What lone sock or crumpled t-shirt might He actually want to sit beside today?

Day 2: The Weight of “Must” in Muddy Shoes

When Jesus declares “I MUST stay at your house,” it carries the urgency of crucifixion-level commitment. This isn’t a polite RSVP but a divine necessity – as vital as Christ’s death and resurrection. The Messiah marches straight into moral Dunkirk camps and ethical construction zones, refusing to wait for our renovations. His determination to dwell in our unfinished spaces reveals grace’s disruptive power. [01:02:19]

“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.’” (Luke 19:5, NLT)

Reflection: What part of your life feels too “under construction” for God’s presence? How might Jesus’ “must” change your view of that space?

Day 3: Naming the “Pure” Beneath the Tax Collector

Jesus shouts “Zacchaeus!” – meaning “pure one” – over a man known for corruption. This isn’t irony but revelation. Christ’s voice uncovers our buried identities like an archaeologist brushing dust off ancient inscriptions. He calls forth the image of God beneath our grime, the original blueprint before life’s alterations. Being seen this way makes fourfold restitution feel like freedom, not obligation. [59:56]

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NLT)

Reflection: When has someone’s belief in your “better self” empowered change? How might living as God’s “pure one” shift your choices today?

Day 4: Tea Before Tidying in the Refugee Camp

The Syrian refugees prioritized boiling water over hiding laundry. Their cracked cups modeled gospel hospitality – offering what is, not what should be. Like Jesus bypassing Zacchaeus’ ledger to share a meal, true connection flourishes when we stop staging life. Spiritual growth begins not in showrooms but in soup kitchens, where presence outweighs presentation. [52:52]

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” (Hebrews 13:2, NLT)

Reflection: Where do you delay connection until things are “presentable”? What simple offering (tea, time, tears) could you share unedited today?

Day 5: Remodeling From the Table Outward

Zacchaeus’ restitution plan erupted after dinner, not before. Jesus transforms lives through communion, not contracts. Like a home renovation starting at the kitchen table rather than the blueprint office, discipleship begins with shared presence. Our job isn’t to pre-clean for the Savior, but to let His sitting down rearrange everything. [01:09:39]

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20, NLT)

Reflection: What “after dinner” change might naturally follow from inviting Jesus into your current mess? How does shared presence soften your need for self-salvation?

Sermon Summary

Luke 19 opens with Jesus entering Jericho, a wealthy trade center where Zacchaeus has made himself rich by taking advantage of his own people. Zacchaeus carries all the signs of success, but his wealth has left him socially and spiritually bankrupt. The crowd sees a traitor, a sinner, and a man who deserves to stay on the outside. Zacchaeus sees the same thing, so he climbs a sycamore tree to watch Jesus from a safe distance.

The tree becomes a picture of the way shame works. Zacchaeus assumes that a messy life has no business standing face to face with a holy rabbi. The branches become his hiding place, much like a house full of lone socks and crumpled t-shirts that nobody wants Jesus to see. The old belief says, “I have to fix my life before I get close to God.” The polished after picture feels acceptable, but the unfinished house feels too embarrassing to open.

Jesus completely flips that order. Jesus looks up, calls Zacchaeus by name, and says, “I must stay at your house today.” The name Zacchaeus means pure and innocent, and Jesus does not use that name to mock him. Jesus names the identity buried underneath greed, corruption, coping mechanisms, and public hatred. Jesus sees more than the mistakes, the reputation, or the mess. Jesus sees the person God created Zacchaeus to be.

Jesus’ “must” carries real weight. The same kind of necessity marks Jesus’ Father’s business, his kingdom mission, and his coming suffering. Jesus does not casually pass by Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus does not ask to inspect the books, demand restitution first, or wait for a cleaned-up invitation. Jesus pulls up a chair at the table, mess and all.

Zacchaeus’ generosity comes after belonging, not before it. Zacchaeus freely offers half his possessions to the poor and fourfold repayment to anyone he has defrauded. The law required far less, but grace produces more than bare compliance. The table becomes the remodel. Jesus’ presence creates the space where the Holy Spirit changes the heart and where repair begins.

Jesus then turns to the grumbling crowd and announces salvation over Zacchaeus’ whole house. The home once shaped by extortion and isolation becomes a place where covenant grace lives. Jesus still calls people down from the tree, away from performance and hiding. Jesus comes for the broken, the work in progress, and the homes that are still under construction.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus comes before the remodel Jesus does not wait for a life to become presentable before entering it. Grace begins with Christ’s presence, not with a successful spiritual renovation. Transformation matters deeply, but it grows from being welcomed rather than from trying to earn a seat at the table. [69:21]
2. Jesus names the truest identity Jesus calls Zacchaeus by a name that means pure and innocent, even when his public life tells a very different story. Christ does not deny sin, but Christ refuses to let sin have the final word over a person’s identity. Grace reaches beneath the habits and failures that have become familiar and calls out who God intended that person to be. [60:34]
3. Belonging produces real repentance Zacchaeus does not bargain for acceptance through restitution. His generosity spills out after Jesus has already chosen his house and his table. Repentance becomes more than shame or religious duty when the heart has encountered unearned belonging. [66:59]
4. The church must pull up chairs The grumbling crowd represents the instinct to make people prove themselves before they belong. Jesus makes clear that those welcomed in their mess lose the right to become gatekeepers over others. The table of Christ has room for lone socks, crumpled t-shirts, and people whose stories are not yet neat.

## [77:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[42:52] - Trying to Stay Fit
[44:09] - Living from the Table
[45:29] - Zacchaeus in Jericho
[47:29] - Before the Remodel
[48:47] - Tea in a Refugee Tent
[53:52] - The Spiritual House and the Mess
[55:15] - Zacchaeus Hides in the Tree
[59:15] - Jesus Calls Zacchaeus by Name
[62:19] - Jesus Must Stay at the House
[66:47] - Table First, Then Transformation
[69:21] - The Table Is the Remodel
[71:50] - Salvation Comes to This House
[76:37] - Living from the Table
[78:01] - Come Down from the Tree

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 19:1-10
“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 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.' Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. 'He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,' they grumbled. 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!' Jesus responded, 'Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” [45:29]

Luke 2:49
“But why did you need to search? he asked. 'Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?” [01:03:34]

Luke 4:43
“But he replied, 'I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.” [01:03:48]

Observation questions

What details in Luke 19:1–10 show Zacchaeus’ social position, wealth, and separation from the people around him? [55:15]
What actions does Zacchaeus take in order to see Jesus, and what do those actions suggest about his willingness to be noticed by the crowd?
What does Jesus do and say when He reaches Zacchaeus’ tree, and how does Zacchaeus respond? [01:02:19]
What are the contrasting responses of Zacchaeus and the crowd after Jesus chooses to go to Zacchaeus’ house? [01:06:13]

Interpretation questions

Zacchaeus watches Jesus from a tree rather than approaching Him openly. How does the tree picture shame, distance, and the belief that a person must fix life before coming near to God? [58:20]
Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name before addressing his wrongdoing. What does this show about how Jesus sees a person whose life has been marked by sin, failure, or a damaged reputation? [01:00:34]
Jesus says that He “must” stay at Zacchaeus’ house. In light of Luke 2:49 and Luke 4:43, what does this word communicate about how seriously Jesus takes His mission to seek the lost? [01:03:34]
Zacchaeus offers generosity and restitution after Jesus has welcomed him. Why is this an important picture of repentance growing out of grace and belonging rather than an effort to earn acceptance? [01:09:21]

Application questions

What “tree” might you be sitting in right now—an area of shame, fear, secret struggle, damaged relationship, financial concern, or spiritual insecurity that you prefer to keep at a safe distance from Jesus? [01:14:30]
Where have you been tempted to think, “I will get close to God after I fix this”? What would it look like this week to welcome Jesus into that unfinished area rather than waiting for the remodel to be complete? [54:21]
Jesus does not sum Zacchaeus up by his greed or reputation. Which past mistake, label, or pattern most often tries to define you, and how might Jesus’ call to your truest identity change how you respond to it? [01:01:29]
Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus led him to make concrete repairs with people he had harmed. Is there a relationship, debt, dishonesty, or unresolved wrong where grace may be leading you toward a specific next step of repentance and repair? [01:06:59]
The crowd grumbled because Jesus welcomed someone they considered unworthy. Where might you be tempted to act like a gatekeeper—expecting someone else to clean up, fit in, or prove themselves before they can belong? [01:17:19]
How can this group or church “pull up extra chairs” in a practical way for people whose lives are still messy and unfinished? Consider one person or kind of person who may need welcome, friendship, or a place at the table. [01:17:37]

Sermon Clips

33s

#JesusWelcomesAll

“Jesus doesn't wait for a remodel. Here's the thing folks, the table is the remodel. Jesus showing up at your table, that's where the magic happens. It's the interaction and the recognition that God has accepted you in your mess. Loan socks and crumpled t shirts, all there with you. Jesus has accepted you. As a result of that acceptance, you are overjoyed that this is how you respond.”

40s

#LetJesusIn

“You've been sitting in the branches watching Jesus from a safe distance. I'll remodel later. I'll get things in order later. He can come, just not quite yet. You've been telling yourself that once I get my habits under control, repair my reputation, once I clean up my life, and then I'll really commit to this cause of church. Then I'll pray. Then I'll pull up a chair with God. I have news for you today. You cannot fix what you don't let Jesus touch.”

33s

#TableOfGrace

“When you've been welcomed at Jesus' table while you're still messy, you lose the right to act like a judgmental grumbling crowd. You stop guarding the doors of the church with maybe some expectation. You stop demanding people or yourself to clean up before they can belong to the community. Instead, you start pulling up extra chairs with the lone sock and the crumble t shirts right there with you.”

28s

#GraceBeforeChange

“I'm coming to your house or or even before that. He doesn't say, can we have a look at your audit books first before I decide to come to your house? He doesn't even put a stipulation that he's gotta fix up his life and repay his neighbors or anything like that. He doesn't even turn around and say, you've got to fix your public invitation or could you please send me an invitation? No, there's none of that. Jesus says, I'm pulling up a chair at your table today, mess and all.”

39s

#BelongBeforeBelieve

“So when you realize that Jesus welcomes you before the remodel, it does actually radically change how you be a disciple. First, it changes how you see yourself. You stop striving to earn God's love and you start resting in his unearned belonging. There's nothing I need to do because he's already invited me. He's coming to my house apparently, and so I'm accepted and I belong. You move from being this nervous spectator thinking you're not worthy, and you start being more joyful sitting with the savior. Second, it changes how you treat everyone else.”

43s

#SurrenderToGod

“There are some things I just want to keep to myself because I'm scared to give that over to God. Because if I give it over to God, I fear that I might lose it. Maybe for you, it's a marriage that is struggling or an addiction that you've been fighting in secret or maybe maybe it's for you a financial mistake that you're trying to navigate or a deep maybe a sense deep sense of spiritual inadequacy that whispers to you, you're not holy enough, you're not consistent enough, you're not clean enough for this Jesus.”

36s

#TransformedByGrace

“That is not a Jesus stipulation, by the way. That is not something that Jesus broke down and here's how you're going to make amends. No, this is Zacchaeus' own decision. He says, I'm going to choose to pay back people for 100%. spontaneous, joyful overflow is only possible because Zacchaeus' heart has proved to be completely transformed by the grace of Jesus.”

53s

#CalledByName

“Can you see the irony of this... Of his name being there? When Jesus, though, speaks Zacchaeus' name, do you think that Jesus is mocking him? You know, if if if people knew Zacchaeus as the tax collector, as the one who steals, can you imagine when when people said his name, how bitter it was in their mouth? Probably when people said his name, they mocked him because he simply in their eyes was not pure and not innocent. But when Jesus calls out to him, I put it to you today that I don't think Jesus was mocking him. Jesus, get this, was naming the original identity hidden behind years of greed, corruption, and public hatred.”

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