Joshua 22-23
Psalm 52
Proverbs 12:15-16
Luke 19:1-27
“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.” Luke 19:5-8
After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus was a changed man. Jesus didn’t come into his house, sit down and tell him all the things he needed to do to change. He didn’t give him a list of requirements to follow. He didn’t tell him to clean up his act and then He would consider whether to accept him. He didn’t condemn him or even point out all his sin. Jesus looked up in the tree and had compassion on the man he saw. He just accepted Zacchaeus as he was. Jesus wasn’t worried about what the people around would think about Him going to Zacchaeus’ house. He wasn’t worried about His reputation or if people would think He was sinful because He was hanging out with a sinner. Jesus loved Zacchaeus. As a result, Zacchaeus became a changed man. He repented of his former ways. He stood up and told Jesus that he was going to give half his possessions to the poor and pay back four times what he owed to anyone he had cheated. Jesus didn’t even have to suggest to him that he should do that. When he met Jesus, his sin was exposed and he immediately changed. This should be a lesson to us. Are we changed because we have been with Jesus? Are we different just because we have been in his presence? This should be true of us following our initial acceptance of Jesus into our hearts, but it should also be true as we daily walk with Him. We should be different from the world around us. We should exhibit His love and the joy and peace of His presence. People should be drawn to us because of our connection to Jesus. If not, then why not?
Comentários