Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus happened the week before his crucifixion. It is one of the last recorded events of his ministry. In it is revealed essential characteristics of God and the manner in which He relates to believers.
First, Jesus approaches the lost. Zacchaeus was looking on and Jesus intentionally engaged him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today. He knew Zacchaeus' name, just as he knows each of ours. There was a sense of urgency. This encounter and the conversion it produced had to be completed in order for God's purposes to be fulfilled in this man's life.
Secondly, society's norms and moral code are transcended by Jesus. Zacchaeus was an outcast. He was completely restored to his intended place as a "son of Abraham" by the grace of Jesus. Jesus came to save the lost.
The restoration isn't a "me and Jesus" thing. It has Zacchaeus' whole household...his family and his servants, who, in that moment of restoration, were also saved.
Jesus is not a minder of status or looks. Zacchaeus stature and position were of no consequence to God, just as ours make no difference today. Jesus rejected the standards of the world and created a new order of things in which the least, lost and broken were given the place of primacy.
Finally, Jesus mere presence in Zacchaeus house was sufficient to encourage him to repent and seek to pursue reparation for those he had harmed. Jesus didn't admonish him or condemn him. He simply loved him. Jesus expected and welcomed Zacchaeus' confession, but didn't demand it as a prerequisite to his fellowship and blessing. How different and refreshingm
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
