Seek and Save the Lost
Luke 19:1-10 (NIV)
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.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
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 the lost.”
Reflection
The story of Zacchaeus is a Sunday school favorite. “He was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he!” This song makes it sound like he was just a cute little guy, but this was certainly not the case. He was a chief tax collector and a corrupt outcast with no friends. He knocked on the doors of his Jewish brothers and demanded their money, then gave it to the Roman government, who then kept them oppressed. He was a lying, greedy, cheat.
When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, he probably looked like a little kid up in that sycamore tree. When Jesus said he intended to stay at Zacchaeus’ house, the crowd mumbled in annoyance that He had chosen to dine with a sinner. Jesus never allowed culture to control his behaviors, though; His calling was much higher than culture’s.
Today, we eat meals in front of the television, scarf down protein bars between jobs, or even skip meals altogether. In Jesus’ time, meals were eaten together and they were often hours long, accompanied by deep conversations. If you ate meals together, you were surely not strangers.
It is important to note that Jesus initiated contact with Zacchaeus. Jesus wasn’t just asking Zacchaeus for a place to stay; He was asking to be his friend. Jesus didn’t care why others were judging Zacchaeus. He met him right where he was, and the man who had no friends became a friend to Jesus. Zacchaeus then pledged to right his wrongs.
Everyone Jesus encountered had a renewed sense of hope. He doesn’t expect us to right our wrongs before we come to Him. He initiates contact, and His hope changes us. There is a richness to God’s kindness and love. It is meant to lead us to repentance. We have inherent worth because we were created in the image of God. Jesus doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. He cares about the condition of your heart.
People everywhere are searching for hope, and the tiny seeds we plant can change lives. When people experience grace, a complete transformation is on the horizon. Our culture is confused, and it will remain confused as long as we keep losing sight of God as our creator. When was the last time you heard “grace” in our culture? Have you brought Jesus to your table lately?
Action Steps
1. No one is beyond saving. We must do whatever it takes to get to Jesus! What comes upon your heart when you think about “whatever it takes” in your life?
2. Read and contemplate the below verses from Matthew 18:1-4. How do these verses relate to today’s reflection?
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, show me ways in which I need to show grace to others. Guide me in planting seeds that point people to You. Remind me to rise above culture and humble myself so I can be closer to You. Continue to transform my heart and give me the courage to ignore what culture has to say. Thank You for Your unmerited favor in me. I love You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
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.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
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 the lost.”
Reflection
The story of Zacchaeus is a Sunday school favorite. “He was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he!” This song makes it sound like he was just a cute little guy, but this was certainly not the case. He was a chief tax collector and a corrupt outcast with no friends. He knocked on the doors of his Jewish brothers and demanded their money, then gave it to the Roman government, who then kept them oppressed. He was a lying, greedy, cheat.
When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, he probably looked like a little kid up in that sycamore tree. When Jesus said he intended to stay at Zacchaeus’ house, the crowd mumbled in annoyance that He had chosen to dine with a sinner. Jesus never allowed culture to control his behaviors, though; His calling was much higher than culture’s.
Today, we eat meals in front of the television, scarf down protein bars between jobs, or even skip meals altogether. In Jesus’ time, meals were eaten together and they were often hours long, accompanied by deep conversations. If you ate meals together, you were surely not strangers.
It is important to note that Jesus initiated contact with Zacchaeus. Jesus wasn’t just asking Zacchaeus for a place to stay; He was asking to be his friend. Jesus didn’t care why others were judging Zacchaeus. He met him right where he was, and the man who had no friends became a friend to Jesus. Zacchaeus then pledged to right his wrongs.
Everyone Jesus encountered had a renewed sense of hope. He doesn’t expect us to right our wrongs before we come to Him. He initiates contact, and His hope changes us. There is a richness to God’s kindness and love. It is meant to lead us to repentance. We have inherent worth because we were created in the image of God. Jesus doesn’t care if you are rich or poor. He cares about the condition of your heart.
People everywhere are searching for hope, and the tiny seeds we plant can change lives. When people experience grace, a complete transformation is on the horizon. Our culture is confused, and it will remain confused as long as we keep losing sight of God as our creator. When was the last time you heard “grace” in our culture? Have you brought Jesus to your table lately?
Action Steps
1. No one is beyond saving. We must do whatever it takes to get to Jesus! What comes upon your heart when you think about “whatever it takes” in your life?
2. Read and contemplate the below verses from Matthew 18:1-4. How do these verses relate to today’s reflection?
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, show me ways in which I need to show grace to others. Guide me in planting seeds that point people to You. Remind me to rise above culture and humble myself so I can be closer to You. Continue to transform my heart and give me the courage to ignore what culture has to say. Thank You for Your unmerited favor in me. I love You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
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