Rebekah Wilson, Alpha Team
Rebekah Wilson 0:09
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s daily dose of the Word of God. Today is Thursday, March 7 and this is Rebekah Wilson. We are currently looking at the practices of Jesus and spiritual disciplines. Listen in as I read Luke chapter 19 verses 8 through 10.
Rebekah Wilson 0:26
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged 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 son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.
Rebekah Wilson 0:54
As we study and look at the habits of Jesus, we can immediately recognize that Jesus was the master at noticing people. Zacchaeus, being small in stature, had made a significant name for himself by betraying his people and working for the Romans. How many Jews just brushed right past him as they held him and his occupation in contempt. But not Jesus. Jesus saw the opportunity to notice Zacchaeus and invite him down from the tree. And when we’re invited to come near to Jesus, we have one of two responses: we can gratefully accept his free gift of love and salvation, or we can reject it.
Rebekah Wilson 1:38
Luke recounts the miraculous transformation of Zacchaeus right before our eyes in the text. After years of swindling and cheating his fellow Jews with the heavy burden of Roman taxes and adding his own surcharge to benefit himself, Zacchaeus becomes a new person. He is filled with generosity and the desire to right the wrongs that that he had been responsible for. As Paul describes in 2 Corinthians, he was not the same anymore, for the old life had gone and a new life had begun. I imagine that Zacchaeus probably had some explaining to do as he went about the town and repaid everyone the taxes he had overcharged them. I wonder what was different in his face and countenance? I wonder if the people could feel the joy radiating off him because he had been changed from the inside out by his Creator and Redeemer? What about you? How has Jesus’ invitation for you changed you into a new person? Where were you when Jesus called you down from the tree and invited you to follow him?
Rebekah Wilson 2:52
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us and inviting us to follow you. We praise you because you don’t see anyone beyond saving or beyond hope. You alone are responsible for the transformation in our hearts and we give you all the glory for the countlredemption and reconciliation. Jesus came down from heaven and drew near to us so that we could draw near to you! Forgive us for the times when we’re too busy to notice your invitations. Forgive us for staying silent about the reason we have hope and joy. You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration and we long to know you more. Thank you that you keep on noticing us and calling us out of the trees that we’ve put ourselves in. Thank you that you can make all things new. Amen.