And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Memory of the Month: Proverbs 15:1-A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
In Luke, chapter 19, verses one through ten we read an odd story of a 'little' man who had a desire. He had reached the office of publican who ran a tax collection house. He was the boss of the operation. He had felt the drive to achieve something in His life and had worked, clawed and cheated(verse 8) his way to the top of the local tax regime.
Except for the cheating part, lest we judge someone, have you ever known anyone who was relentless in their pursuit of success? You may have been that person. There was a desire that was always there-and in some, still remains, to reach that place where the desire is driving to.
Zaachaeus heard Jesus was coming and his desire drove him to get a glimpse of the person that was causing all the commotion. He had obviously heard of Jesus and His miraculous activities, everyone had, but instead of pushing through the crowd to get close enough to touch Jesus, he got a 'nose-bleed' seat above the crowd in a tree. (Think about it: all his life he had climbed trees to rise above the crowd and be somebody-sound familiar? After all, it was easier than doing it the way everyone else was...)
Zaachaeus had made it to the top-locally. He had learned the system and worked it well and was enjoying the perks-even at the cost of being hated--tax people, right?
The desire to climb and achieve and to stay on the top where all can be observed-where the wisdom of the world gives a view of continuing success and an assured future-such was the desire of Zacchaeus-and such is the exact view of success in the world today. Not much has changed, has it?
Now...Jesus sees Zacchaeus and tells him to come down from his lofty perch. He tells him to come down from the place of self-elevation-to come down and look up...to see the fulfilment of the desire that had so long driven Him.
The locals, the world, did not get it-they scoffed and made light of Jesus going home with a sinner. The sinner, Zacchaeus, repented and made restitution-but what really happened?
Zacchaeus found freedom. He was released from the chains of the desire that had made him a hated man. He found life in Christ and was healed of his 'cancer' that was eating up his life. Peace and freedom from sin-this is the healing in Christ that the world is looking for-but like Zaachaeus, they do not know the truth until they 'see' Jesus and welcome Him into their 'homes'-their hearts.
There is the key-the world must see Jesus. How? Where? He is not walking the streets the way He did then, is He?
He is if we are walking in Him. The world will see Jesus when we walk in Him and they see us love like Jesus loved-when they see us living out the freedom from the 'world's desire' as we walk in the Liberating Lord Jesus.
Pray to get it right. Pray that you-that we all define the desire that drives us-is it the world or is it now the desire to please our Lord? Pray that we learn to walk in Him and in His holiness.
Pray that they see in us the answer to the desire in their hearts to get to the top-pray that they look down from the cheap seats and hear Christ call them down-so they, too, lower themselves to look up and welcome Him home.
Pray for all to define the desire and to find the answer In Christ Jesus, the Liberator.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
I confess that when I get my eyes off You that old desire creeps back in. Lead me to walk in You so the world can see me walking in Your freedom.
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