Even You

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” Eph.2:8-9

In Luke 18:25, Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Not long after that statement comes Zacchaeus. As you can imagine everybody was waiting for Jesus to give him a show down. Everybody was waiting for Jesus to tell him the story of his life and its fullness or lack thereof. Standing there was Zacchaeus, the same man that climbed the tree because he was too short to see Jesus from the ground. His name, Zacchaeus, means the righteous one. But his life was a contradiction because the Bible tells us that he was the chief tax collector. It is just like naming the head prostitute Purity or the number one fraudster in the community introducing himself as Innocent. That would be a huge contradiction.

Every time Zacchaeus was called in that culture, it was like stating a contradiction. The people saw Zacchaeus as a thief and a traitor. They saw him as a thief because tax collection in those days was not regulated. The people were overcharged and extorted and there was nothing they could do about it. They saw him as a traitor because Cesar was Roman and he was a Jew. But he was collecting taxes from his people and giving it to Caesar. And it was this same man that was climbing a tree to see Jesus. What did he hope to achieve?

What were his chances of getting into the Kingdom of God? Very slim I would say, that is, if it were dependent on man. But that was who Jesus picked out of everyone in that crowd. If Zacchaeus could make it into the Kingdom of God, you will make it into the Kingdom of God. If Zacchaeus was sustained in the Kingdom of God, you will be sustained in the Kingdom of God.

One major key in this story is that for there to be a life change, there must be a heart change. In fact, life change is not possible without a heart change. And the proof of a changed heart is a changed life. So what must you and I do for a heart change to occur? The first thing is, I Must Be Open to the INITIATIVE of God. You and I need to be open to the idea that God might be pursuing us. I know it is a difficult thing to even wrap our minds around. But you must be open to the fact that God, the God of all creation, is wooing you.

Prayer [song]: You’re all I want. You’re all I’ve ever needed. You’re all I want. Help me know You are near. Amen!