But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:19-20 NIV)
This week in 5th grade Sunday School, we considered the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. His story spans 13 chapters in Genesis, and is quite difficult to cover in a thirty minute lesson. However, we did it; I simply asked the kids to share what they already knew about Joseph, and then we proceeded from that base of knowledge.
If you are at all familiar with Joseph's story, you know that he was a favored son of Jacob, Father of Israel. You know that Joseph wore a special coat-of-many-colors, signifying that he was favored by his father. His brothers sold Joseph into slavery, and Joseph became a slave of influential Potiphar in Egypt. Joseph was soon favored by Potiphar and became head of the official's household. After being falsely accused by Mrs. Potiphar, Joseph was throne into prison, only to again rise to the top as assistant to the prison guards. Many years later, Joseph was brought to the Pharoah to interpret his prophetic dream. Joseph's response was, "I cannot interpret your dream, but God will give Pharoah the answer that he desires." (Genesis 41:16)
Soon later, Joseph became second in charge of Egypt under the Pharoah's command. Joseph again rose to the top, filled with the favor of the LORD. We know the rest of the story, how that the nation of Israel was saved from the famine of that day by the brother that had years earlier been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. The same brothers who hated Joseph were now indebted to him for their very lives. What they had meant for evil, God meant for good. That is how God's favor works sometimes. (Genesis 50:20)
The key is this: how do we live and walk in the favor of God? In Sunday School, I used a simple fishing bobber to illustrate the effect of God's favor. We submerged the bobber to the bottom of a tub of water, and lo and behold, the bobber "bobbed" to the top every time. Just like Joseph! Next I asked, "How does this bobber relate to the story of Joseph?" One young lady said, "Everytime something bad happened to Joseph, something much better happened to him." Exactly! Then a young fellow said, "Joseph must have been filled with God's holy righteousness!" We had learned earlier that righteousness is right-standing with God due to faith in God and His faithfulness. Joseph was a believer in God, and trusted that God would lift him up as he submitted to His will. Because of his right-standing with God, Joseph lived continually in the favor of God.
It is God's favor that brings the best from a bad situation. It is God's favor that turns evil to good. And, it is God's favor that allows us to venture out to make a difference in this world, because we may do so in confidence, knowing that we will always bob to the top, no matter how deep we find ourselves submerged. This is the amazing effect of the favor of God!
Allow the favor of God to follow you this week as you submit to His will and His instruction.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Barometer of the Heart
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3 NIV)
I have just completed a lengthy and one-sided conversation with my 15 year-old son concerning an electronic device which I have taken away from him for the umpteenth time. I have found this electronic device to be somewhat of a barometer revealing where my son is spiritually, as well as in his maturity. It has divulged his position regarding honesty, obedience, integrity, not to mention honor of his parents and others.
The truth is that we all have our own barometers which reveal where we really are in our walk with Christ. It may be a car, or a boat, or clothing. It could be a certain job, or a dream, or even a relationship which reveals how submissive we are to the will of God, or how stubborn we are in attaining our own will and not God's. Heaven forbid that God would actually say "no" to our having our heart's desires, asking us to defer to His will and timing. The "thing" is not the issue; the heart is!
Should that "thing" be taken away from you and me, what will our response be? Will we pine forever until it is replaced, or will we shrug and simply return to our Bible and prayer time. Should God allow us to have certain possessions or relationships, how will we react once these things or people are taken from us? Our first reaction tells us exactly where we are in our relationship with Christ Jesus. Are our hearts indeed set on things above, or on things of this earth? For the person who has his or her life in godly order, things are merely tools for living life, and people are to be loved and enjoyed for as long as God allows, as we give thanks to Him fully for each and every one.
As I told my son, I believe that everything we need--past, present and future--has been taken and hidden in Jesus Christ. If we need it, He has it for us as we seek Him, His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). For our own benefit, we know that anything that God provides is safe and suitable for our subsistence on this earth. Anything that we have to go and get for ourselves without God's approval will be harmful for us and our families. Thus, if all we ever did was to set our minds on things of heaven where Christ sits enthroned, then we know that our needs would be met according to "His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). It is there, on Christ Jesus, where our minds and hearts should be set. In contrast with Him, everything else becomes impertinent and unimportant.
What are your possessions and relationships telling you? Let us each resolve to set our minds on things of heaven, and not on things of this earth.
I have just completed a lengthy and one-sided conversation with my 15 year-old son concerning an electronic device which I have taken away from him for the umpteenth time. I have found this electronic device to be somewhat of a barometer revealing where my son is spiritually, as well as in his maturity. It has divulged his position regarding honesty, obedience, integrity, not to mention honor of his parents and others.
The truth is that we all have our own barometers which reveal where we really are in our walk with Christ. It may be a car, or a boat, or clothing. It could be a certain job, or a dream, or even a relationship which reveals how submissive we are to the will of God, or how stubborn we are in attaining our own will and not God's. Heaven forbid that God would actually say "no" to our having our heart's desires, asking us to defer to His will and timing. The "thing" is not the issue; the heart is!
Should that "thing" be taken away from you and me, what will our response be? Will we pine forever until it is replaced, or will we shrug and simply return to our Bible and prayer time. Should God allow us to have certain possessions or relationships, how will we react once these things or people are taken from us? Our first reaction tells us exactly where we are in our relationship with Christ Jesus. Are our hearts indeed set on things above, or on things of this earth? For the person who has his or her life in godly order, things are merely tools for living life, and people are to be loved and enjoyed for as long as God allows, as we give thanks to Him fully for each and every one.
As I told my son, I believe that everything we need--past, present and future--has been taken and hidden in Jesus Christ. If we need it, He has it for us as we seek Him, His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). For our own benefit, we know that anything that God provides is safe and suitable for our subsistence on this earth. Anything that we have to go and get for ourselves without God's approval will be harmful for us and our families. Thus, if all we ever did was to set our minds on things of heaven where Christ sits enthroned, then we know that our needs would be met according to "His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). It is there, on Christ Jesus, where our minds and hearts should be set. In contrast with Him, everything else becomes impertinent and unimportant.
What are your possessions and relationships telling you? Let us each resolve to set our minds on things of heaven, and not on things of this earth.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Heaven's Love
After having lived in 7 different decades (I'm not quite as old as that sounds), I have found (shock) that there really are two different worlds.
The world that the Bible speaks of is basically the dimension that is built to run without God. This is the realm where people are taught that they must either rely on themselves or on the government to meet their every need. Republicans and Democrats? Anyway, this is the world where you are loved if you produce. It could be your company, it could be your family, or it could be your church. If they love you, you are probably producing something of value; otherwise, you would not be loved, and in the case of your company, you would probably be without a job. In our western world, the politician who gives the most (of our money) is the one who is loved so much that he or she is repeatedly re-elected, or eventually promoted to president. If you don't give your spouse what he or she needs, eventually you will be looking for a new spouse. That is just how it works in the world! You are loved for what you do!
Now in God's world, as in just about everything else, His ways are diametrically opposed to the ways of this world. God does not love us because of what we do! Our most righteous, holy moments cannot outweigh our sin. No, God loves us, period. He loves us so much to send His Son to die for us; those who receive Jesus as Lord are adopted into the family of God, and we are loved no matter what we do or do not do. Contrary to the ways of the world, we are first loved, and then we proceed to do good things as a result of the grace that has been given to us.
I have found a Psalm that may be the shortest, but may be one of the most profound. When little is said, that is in itself an exclamation point. Maybe nothing else needs to be said!
Psalm 117 (NIV): "Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD."
The world loves us for what we produce. God loves us. And then we produce!
May we learn to live with Heaven's love here in the midst of this world. May we learn to love others with God's love, knowing it is this love that inspires others to produce good fruit as a result of God's love for them. Amen.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Beware the Rocks!!!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV)
In a time when we are literally deluged with troubles and adversity on one hand, and technology and luxurious living on the other, we are caught in a vice-grip of life in this world's system. The cacaphony of Sirens' songs is deafening, each enticement calling us to break apart upon a different rocky shore each day. The only voice that we can trust, the only invitation that we may safely heed is the voice of the LORD. All others will eventually end in ruin.
We live in a world that is led by the media. Whether it is television, where we must keep track of who is winning what "reality" contest, or the world of music, where we must keep up with the latest arrangement of recycled ideas, we are ignoring the one voice from Heaven that has our best interests at heart. We search the Internet for the answers to every question, while God awaits our questions which seek true direction and wisdom. While the Internet seems to be the shiny and miraculous medium that knows all things, there is only one God who truly knows all things. If we turn in desperation to the Internet for answers to life's deepest questions, we are in reality searching for gems in a massive garbage-strewn landfill, filled with the incestuous and polluted knowledge of the ignorant and of the deceptive.
There is one God whose plan is to prosper us and to not harm us. There is one LORD whose desire is to give us a hope and a future in His Kingdom. However, we will only find Him when we shun the Sirens of this world and turn our ships toward heaven. The truth is that a ship can only head in one direction at a time. We cannot seek the world and the Kingdom of God concurrently; no, we must choose in which direction we will sail. We will seek God and find Christ Jesus when we seek Him with all of our hearts. It is in the hand of Jesus where we will find Him holding our hope and future. He has safely hidden our every plan and every provision in the being of Jesus Christ. As we seek Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness, we will find all that we will ever need and want, as we seek Him will all of our hearts (Matthew 6:33, Jeremiah 20:13).
Beware the rocks! Heed the voice of Heaven!
In a time when we are literally deluged with troubles and adversity on one hand, and technology and luxurious living on the other, we are caught in a vice-grip of life in this world's system. The cacaphony of Sirens' songs is deafening, each enticement calling us to break apart upon a different rocky shore each day. The only voice that we can trust, the only invitation that we may safely heed is the voice of the LORD. All others will eventually end in ruin.
We live in a world that is led by the media. Whether it is television, where we must keep track of who is winning what "reality" contest, or the world of music, where we must keep up with the latest arrangement of recycled ideas, we are ignoring the one voice from Heaven that has our best interests at heart. We search the Internet for the answers to every question, while God awaits our questions which seek true direction and wisdom. While the Internet seems to be the shiny and miraculous medium that knows all things, there is only one God who truly knows all things. If we turn in desperation to the Internet for answers to life's deepest questions, we are in reality searching for gems in a massive garbage-strewn landfill, filled with the incestuous and polluted knowledge of the ignorant and of the deceptive.
There is one God whose plan is to prosper us and to not harm us. There is one LORD whose desire is to give us a hope and a future in His Kingdom. However, we will only find Him when we shun the Sirens of this world and turn our ships toward heaven. The truth is that a ship can only head in one direction at a time. We cannot seek the world and the Kingdom of God concurrently; no, we must choose in which direction we will sail. We will seek God and find Christ Jesus when we seek Him with all of our hearts. It is in the hand of Jesus where we will find Him holding our hope and future. He has safely hidden our every plan and every provision in the being of Jesus Christ. As we seek Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness, we will find all that we will ever need and want, as we seek Him will all of our hearts (Matthew 6:33, Jeremiah 20:13).
Beware the rocks! Heed the voice of Heaven!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Walk in His Way!
"So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you: do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that your will possess." (Deuteronomy 5:32-33 NIV)
As a country that is relatively young (compared to the ancient societies of Greece, Rome, and Babylon), we find ourselves at a crossroads not unlike these empires of old. Each of them had times of extreme power and prosperity; however, these "blessings" turned out to be their downfall. Their leaders used their power to conquer and enslave, and they used their prosperity to corrupt and blaspheme. Times of plenty led to times of want, with the hedonistic desires of the ruling class serving as the proverbial millstones tied around the collective necks of the most prosperous.
What does that have to do with 21st Century America? Everything! We find men and women in power who are selling the soul of our country for a few sips from the fountain of power and pleasure. America is in danger of becoming a footnote in the history books as a once-massive empire that sowed the seeds of its own destruction, watered by the power and prosperity that once made it great. Is this fate sealed? Can we turn back from this road to distaster?
Our answer lies in the words that God Almighty spoke to the people of Israel. They had already eaten the bitter fruits of rebellion, and a new generation was ready to enter the Promised Land. All that God asked of them was simple allegiance and obedience. In Deuteronomy 6:5, Israel is exhorted: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Then Moses continues, "These commandments that I give your today are to be upon your hearts."(verse 6). His promise is for us, as well as Israel, that we will enjoy prosperity and long life in our land if we serve and obey the God who created us (and our country). Greece, Rome, and Babylon did not serve and obey the God of the Universe; they served themselves and obeyed their selfish sinful desires. Unfortunately, there were times when Israel did the same. And here we are! America, are we serving and obeying our Creator, or are we serving ourselves while following our own selfish sinful desires?
From the White House to our house, from Wall Street to Main Street, we must each decide whether or not to love our Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength. And we must each decide whether or not we are going to follow His direction in following His commands. In reality, the only hope that exists for America to remain great is for her people to individually and collectively renew their love and allegiance to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Any other scenario will result in the downfall of our great country. Any attempt to walk in any way other than God's is most certainly to follow the path to destruction. Walk in His Way, America!
God will bless America with the very same measure that we apply in seeking and obeying Him!
As a country that is relatively young (compared to the ancient societies of Greece, Rome, and Babylon), we find ourselves at a crossroads not unlike these empires of old. Each of them had times of extreme power and prosperity; however, these "blessings" turned out to be their downfall. Their leaders used their power to conquer and enslave, and they used their prosperity to corrupt and blaspheme. Times of plenty led to times of want, with the hedonistic desires of the ruling class serving as the proverbial millstones tied around the collective necks of the most prosperous.
What does that have to do with 21st Century America? Everything! We find men and women in power who are selling the soul of our country for a few sips from the fountain of power and pleasure. America is in danger of becoming a footnote in the history books as a once-massive empire that sowed the seeds of its own destruction, watered by the power and prosperity that once made it great. Is this fate sealed? Can we turn back from this road to distaster?
Our answer lies in the words that God Almighty spoke to the people of Israel. They had already eaten the bitter fruits of rebellion, and a new generation was ready to enter the Promised Land. All that God asked of them was simple allegiance and obedience. In Deuteronomy 6:5, Israel is exhorted: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Then Moses continues, "These commandments that I give your today are to be upon your hearts."(verse 6). His promise is for us, as well as Israel, that we will enjoy prosperity and long life in our land if we serve and obey the God who created us (and our country). Greece, Rome, and Babylon did not serve and obey the God of the Universe; they served themselves and obeyed their selfish sinful desires. Unfortunately, there were times when Israel did the same. And here we are! America, are we serving and obeying our Creator, or are we serving ourselves while following our own selfish sinful desires?
From the White House to our house, from Wall Street to Main Street, we must each decide whether or not to love our Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength. And we must each decide whether or not we are going to follow His direction in following His commands. In reality, the only hope that exists for America to remain great is for her people to individually and collectively renew their love and allegiance to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Any other scenario will result in the downfall of our great country. Any attempt to walk in any way other than God's is most certainly to follow the path to destruction. Walk in His Way, America!
God will bless America with the very same measure that we apply in seeking and obeying Him!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Do You Believe This?
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 NIV)
As Passion Week and the Day of Resurrection approach, it is good to remember that Jesus dealt in resurrection power before He went to the cross. Mankind has been in need of resurrection since the Day of Sin in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam brought death into the world through sin (Romans 5:12), and the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, brought life for all who will receive it (Romans 5:18). This life that came to us through Jesus is one of the basic characteristics of God and His kingdom. Jesus plainly said in these passages, "I am . . . the life." Lazarus was one of the first beneficiaries of the power of life that is in the Son of God.
This life that comes to us from heaven in the person of the Jesus Christ is more accurately explained in the Greek word zoe, pronounced zō-ā. For us, zoe-life is a life that is absolute and abundant, a life in which there is no death. We often call this eternal life, or everlasting life; a life that transcends the curse of death which came upon the human race as a result of Adam's sin. We know that this life flows through the Kingdom of Heaven, and its fruit is borne by the tree of life, which grows on both sides of the River of Life (Revelation 22:1-2). It is this life in which there is no death, this absolute life, which flowed through the human body of Jesus, for He is life. It is this absolute life that raised Jesus from the dead through the glory of the Father, and it is this life that is promised to everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.
We may only participate in this absolute resurrection-life by believing that Jesus was raised from the dead. He said to the blind men, "According to your faith will it be done to you." (Matthew 9:29 NIV). We participate in zoe-life by believing in the One who gives it--the One who demonstrated the future that each of us has who believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Do you believe this???
As Passion Week and the Day of Resurrection approach, it is good to remember that Jesus dealt in resurrection power before He went to the cross. Mankind has been in need of resurrection since the Day of Sin in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam brought death into the world through sin (Romans 5:12), and the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, brought life for all who will receive it (Romans 5:18). This life that came to us through Jesus is one of the basic characteristics of God and His kingdom. Jesus plainly said in these passages, "I am . . . the life." Lazarus was one of the first beneficiaries of the power of life that is in the Son of God.
This life that comes to us from heaven in the person of the Jesus Christ is more accurately explained in the Greek word zoe, pronounced zō-ā. For us, zoe-life is a life that is absolute and abundant, a life in which there is no death. We often call this eternal life, or everlasting life; a life that transcends the curse of death which came upon the human race as a result of Adam's sin. We know that this life flows through the Kingdom of Heaven, and its fruit is borne by the tree of life, which grows on both sides of the River of Life (Revelation 22:1-2). It is this life in which there is no death, this absolute life, which flowed through the human body of Jesus, for He is life. It is this absolute life that raised Jesus from the dead through the glory of the Father, and it is this life that is promised to everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.
We may only participate in this absolute resurrection-life by believing that Jesus was raised from the dead. He said to the blind men, "According to your faith will it be done to you." (Matthew 9:29 NIV). We participate in zoe-life by believing in the One who gives it--the One who demonstrated the future that each of us has who believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Do you believe this???
Monday, March 7, 2011
No Condemnation!!!
We have known the story since our days as young Sunday-Schoolers: The Story of Zacchaeus. Let me try to add a bit more insight to what we know about the "wee little man."
It was in the city of Jericho where Zacchaeus lived and worked. Oh, how he worked! He was the local tax-collector for the Roman Empire. Yes, the people of Jericho were accustomed to paying taxes--it was just part of life. However, Zacchaeus had an arrangement with the Roman government that he would collect what belonged to Caesar, and then he would take as his own whatever he could extort from the public, often taking much more than he should have. To be called a "tax-collector" put Zacchaeus in the league with con-artists and thieves, as far as the people of Jericho were concerned. To say that he was hated by the citizenry is to put it mildly.
In the city where Joshua had called down the walls with the shouts of the people of Israel and the blasts of trumpets, Zacchaeus was soon to experience a similar shaking in his own life. The man known as "Yeshua", the same name as Joshua from hundreds of years before, had come to town. We know Him as Jesus and His name means salvation. The crowds quickly enveloped Jesus as He passed through town on His way to another place in the Holy Land. In fact, the crowds were so intense that the diminutive, yet notorious, Zacchaeus had to climb a sycamore-fig tree to catch a glimpse of the now famous Son of Man. It was curiosity that brought Zacchaeus up the tree, but it was love that would bring him down.
As Jesus passed underneath the tree, He was fully aware that a lonely man needed redemption. He knew that the most-hated rich man in Jericho was seeking something that he had never experienced--compassion. And so Jesus looked up and called the tax-collector by name--the name that He had known since the foundation of the world:
"Zacchaeus!"
"Come down right away!"
"I must come to your house today!"
Something that traditional religion implies is missing in this account. Jesus did not ask anything of Zacchaeus, other than his acceptance. He didn't condemn Zacchaeus for his greed and thievery. He didn't demand repentance of the publican. Jesus didn't explain to the curious little man that He could not fellowship with sinners, that He couldn't embrace someone so ungodly. No, Jesus simply saw a "son of Abraham" who needed redemption, and He called his name. We know from the account in Luke 19:1-9 that Zacchaeus immediately descended from the tree, and he immediately repented of his sins and promised better restitution than the Law demanded from thieves. Again, Jesus did not demand these actions of Zacchaeus; Zacchaeus demanded them of himself in order to destroy anything that would separate him from the Savior of his soul. Somehow, Zacchaeus recognized that the Man who supernaturally knew his name was the One who could save his derelict soul. Jesus simply shouted "Zacchaeus!" and the walls that separated the sinner from the Savior fell in the time it took for a little man to climb down from a tree.
Unfortunately, even in this day of grace, we expect that Jesus will condemn us for our sins and expect complete repentance and rehabilitation before He will come to our house to break bread with us. The truth is this: until He comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit we will not and cannot rehabilitate ourselves. It is impossible! Only by the Spirit of holiness that Jesus places in His believers may the believers ever deny sin and turn away from it. We hear Him call our names, and then, with His help, we begin to tear down the walls that have separated us from His fellowship all these years. There is no condemnation! Just as with Zacchaeus 2000 years ago, Jesus does not see our sins--He only sees us. We are what He is after. Once we know Him, we will look for ways to make things right; once we have enjoyed His friendship, we will no longer look for ways to sin--we will look for ways not to sin.
Paul summed it up in Romans 8:1-2:
"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
It was in the city of Jericho where Zacchaeus lived and worked. Oh, how he worked! He was the local tax-collector for the Roman Empire. Yes, the people of Jericho were accustomed to paying taxes--it was just part of life. However, Zacchaeus had an arrangement with the Roman government that he would collect what belonged to Caesar, and then he would take as his own whatever he could extort from the public, often taking much more than he should have. To be called a "tax-collector" put Zacchaeus in the league with con-artists and thieves, as far as the people of Jericho were concerned. To say that he was hated by the citizenry is to put it mildly.
In the city where Joshua had called down the walls with the shouts of the people of Israel and the blasts of trumpets, Zacchaeus was soon to experience a similar shaking in his own life. The man known as "Yeshua", the same name as Joshua from hundreds of years before, had come to town. We know Him as Jesus and His name means salvation. The crowds quickly enveloped Jesus as He passed through town on His way to another place in the Holy Land. In fact, the crowds were so intense that the diminutive, yet notorious, Zacchaeus had to climb a sycamore-fig tree to catch a glimpse of the now famous Son of Man. It was curiosity that brought Zacchaeus up the tree, but it was love that would bring him down.
As Jesus passed underneath the tree, He was fully aware that a lonely man needed redemption. He knew that the most-hated rich man in Jericho was seeking something that he had never experienced--compassion. And so Jesus looked up and called the tax-collector by name--the name that He had known since the foundation of the world:
"Zacchaeus!"
"Come down right away!"
"I must come to your house today!"
Something that traditional religion implies is missing in this account. Jesus did not ask anything of Zacchaeus, other than his acceptance. He didn't condemn Zacchaeus for his greed and thievery. He didn't demand repentance of the publican. Jesus didn't explain to the curious little man that He could not fellowship with sinners, that He couldn't embrace someone so ungodly. No, Jesus simply saw a "son of Abraham" who needed redemption, and He called his name. We know from the account in Luke 19:1-9 that Zacchaeus immediately descended from the tree, and he immediately repented of his sins and promised better restitution than the Law demanded from thieves. Again, Jesus did not demand these actions of Zacchaeus; Zacchaeus demanded them of himself in order to destroy anything that would separate him from the Savior of his soul. Somehow, Zacchaeus recognized that the Man who supernaturally knew his name was the One who could save his derelict soul. Jesus simply shouted "Zacchaeus!" and the walls that separated the sinner from the Savior fell in the time it took for a little man to climb down from a tree.
Unfortunately, even in this day of grace, we expect that Jesus will condemn us for our sins and expect complete repentance and rehabilitation before He will come to our house to break bread with us. The truth is this: until He comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit we will not and cannot rehabilitate ourselves. It is impossible! Only by the Spirit of holiness that Jesus places in His believers may the believers ever deny sin and turn away from it. We hear Him call our names, and then, with His help, we begin to tear down the walls that have separated us from His fellowship all these years. There is no condemnation! Just as with Zacchaeus 2000 years ago, Jesus does not see our sins--He only sees us. We are what He is after. Once we know Him, we will look for ways to make things right; once we have enjoyed His friendship, we will no longer look for ways to sin--we will look for ways not to sin.
Paul summed it up in Romans 8:1-2:
"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
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