The Zacchaeus In Your Life
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.”
Luke 19:1-10 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.19.1-10.nlt
"Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see..." That might be one of my favorite Bible songs of all time. Such a catchy little tune that tells a story. The story of Zacchaeus brings a smile to many of us, simply because of that song. But in real life, Zacchaeus was no fun, adorable character. In his time, he was not well liked by the people. He was a chief tax collector, but the people probably would have labeled him a thief. He did not run his business fairly and the people paid dearly. I'm willing to bet that Zacchaeus would be one of the last people that anyone would want to pray God's mercy for. I mean, who would want God's goodness toward someone who has harmed them?
But Jesus just didn't see it like that. What Jesus saw was a man who went out of his way to get a glimpse of Him. He saw a man that was not too far gone, after all. He saw a sinner in need of a changed heart and a changed life. And Jesus was willing to extend mercy, not judgment.
We see that it only took one conversation with the Savior for Zacchaeus to do a 180 degree turn. When Zacchaeus saw that Jesus accepted him - even in his sin - we watch him 'come to his senses' and do what he could do to make things right with all the people he wronged.
The question for us today is this: Who is the Zacchaeus in your life? Is there anyone you have trouble praying for or reaching out to because they seem to be too far gone, too much of a sinner, or have hurt, harmed, or offended you? Is there anyone you'd rather see God's judgment on than His mercy extended to?
If God didn't give up on such a notorious sinner as Zacchaeus, he certainly hasn't given up on the Zacchaeus in your life.
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.”
Luke 19:1-10 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.19.1-10.nlt
***
"Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see..." That might be one of my favorite Bible songs of all time. Such a catchy little tune that tells a story. The story of Zacchaeus brings a smile to many of us, simply because of that song. But in real life, Zacchaeus was no fun, adorable character. In his time, he was not well liked by the people. He was a chief tax collector, but the people probably would have labeled him a thief. He did not run his business fairly and the people paid dearly. I'm willing to bet that Zacchaeus would be one of the last people that anyone would want to pray God's mercy for. I mean, who would want God's goodness toward someone who has harmed them?
But Jesus just didn't see it like that. What Jesus saw was a man who went out of his way to get a glimpse of Him. He saw a man that was not too far gone, after all. He saw a sinner in need of a changed heart and a changed life. And Jesus was willing to extend mercy, not judgment.
We see that it only took one conversation with the Savior for Zacchaeus to do a 180 degree turn. When Zacchaeus saw that Jesus accepted him - even in his sin - we watch him 'come to his senses' and do what he could do to make things right with all the people he wronged.
The question for us today is this: Who is the Zacchaeus in your life? Is there anyone you have trouble praying for or reaching out to because they seem to be too far gone, too much of a sinner, or have hurt, harmed, or offended you? Is there anyone you'd rather see God's judgment on than His mercy extended to?
If God didn't give up on such a notorious sinner as Zacchaeus, he certainly hasn't given up on the Zacchaeus in your life.
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