‘“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 what was lost.”’ (Luke 19:9-10 NIV)
The marketplace is more than a place of commerce- it is a sacred space where lives intersect, values are tested, and the gospel can be embodied. In Luke 19:1-10, we see Jesus in Jericho, a bustling trade city, engaging a man whose life was shaped by the marketplace: Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. As a tax collector, he was both powerful and despised. His wealth came at the cost of integrity, and his reputation was stained by exploitation. Yet beneath the surface, Zacchaeus longed for something more. His climb up the sycamore tree was not just physical- it was spiritual hunger reaching for hope.
Jesus met him in the marketplace, called him by name, and chose his home as the site of divine fellowship. He demonstrated that the gospel belongs in the marketplace. Today’s workplaces- whether corporate offices, business centers, farms, tech startups, or government agencies- are modern Jericho. They are filled with people like Zacchaeus: influential yet searching, successful yet spiritually hungry.
In our workplaces, we are called to be present- not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally. Our faith should be visible in how we treat colleagues, handle conflict, and steward influence. Missions is not confined to pulpits or pews- it flourishes in boardrooms, classrooms, and street corners. Living a missionary life in the workplace and everywhere we find ourselves means carrying the presence of Christ into the rhythms of daily labor, relationships, and influence.
Rev. Moses Abayomi Sodeinde
