Pastor Steve Watts’ sermon, “Showing Compassion to Zacchaeus”, based on Luke 19:1-10, explores the radical nature of Christian compassion through Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector. Pastor Watts explains that Zacchaeus, as a Jewish man working for the oppressive Roman Empire and enriching himself through taxation, would have been viewed by his community as a traitor and a sinner. Yet Jesus, rather than condemning Zacchaeus, chooses to show him compassion by inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ home—an act that scandalized the crowd. Watts emphasizes how Jesus’ compassion broke cultural and political expectations, revealing a kind of love that is extreme and transformative. He draws a parallel to a story about a man in India who, after suffering injustice, found healing and faith through the Bible’s vision of a just and compassionate God. This, Watts says, mirrors Zacchaeus’ own transformation: having received compassion from Jesus, Zacchaeus responds by offering generous restitution, far beyond what the law required. The sermon challenges listeners to reflect on the people or groups they struggle to love and to recognize that Christian compassion often means loving even those we view as enemies. It is not always easy or even immediately possible, Watts admits, but Jesus’ compassion remains constant. He concludes by connecting Zacchaeus’ generosity to the church’s stewardship season, inviting the congregation to reflect on how their giving can be a compassionate and generous response to the grace they’ve received.
