Receipts & Refunds // Rev. Matt Kennedy // Mar 15 2026

We all like a good redemption story, and followers of Christ are told to rejoice when a sinner repents (Luke 15:7), but sometimes it's hard not to be skeptical when a nasty scoundrel makes a sudden conversion to Jesus. We can probably think of more than a few examples where it seems a public conversion feels little more than a publicity stunt and doesn't seem to lead to meaningful transformation. Sometimes when it comes to redemption stories, we'd like to "see the receipts."Our scripture this week tells the story of a notorious sinner who does bring the receipts to his conversion. When Zaccheus the corrupt tax-collector finds himself befriended by Jesus, he not only declares he's a changed man, but shows it as well with a public commitment to rectify his financial misdeeds (Luke 19:1-8). The story shows us what repentance can look like, but more importantly, it shows us what Christ does that brings about our repentance. He befriends the despised before amending their behavior, not after. Jesus isn't waiting for you to get your act together before he starts working in your life, he's eager to start today!