211 of 365 - An Encounter with Jesus

And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” Luke 19:7
 
The crowd grumbles at Jesus inviting himself to Zacchaeus’s house. How dare this teacher associate with such a disgraceful human being, they mutter among themselves and aloud.

But Zacchaeus is overjoyed. Yes, come to my house! Dinner it is!

We don’t know what was said over that dinner, but we know that Zacchaeus’s life was radically changed as a result of this encounter.

His entire adult life Zacchaeus likely heard from the Jewish religious crowd that he was a sinner, that he needed to repent, that he needed to stop extorting the Jewish people, that he needed to give to the poor. While all of this is true, it had no impact on his life.

But Jesus looking up at him from the bottom of that tree, noticing him, loving him at that moment, calling him by name, insisting He dine at his house, engaging with him…THIS forever changed him.

“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” Zacchaeus is a transformed man with renewed priorities.

Love for Jesus is the greatest motivation for change. Far more than legalism, guilt, lectures, or manipulation.

​May we not be fooled by what we see. Things aren’t always what they seem. No one is too far gone for Jesus to stop, look up at, engage with, and radically change. In fact, they are the most likely to get His attention. May love be a mighty force for change in our lives and the lives of those we love.
 
Questions: What compels people to follow Jesus? How is Jesus different than the misguided religious leaders of His day?