He’s Looking for You

Luke 19:9-10 "Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God's chosen people. The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them."

Have you ever felt unworthy of God? You know this sense that surely, God wouldn’t come after me. Jesus wouldn’t ever bother with me. If you’ve had that thing nagging away in the background, then today’s message is definitely for you.

Back in the day, did Jesus hang out with the well-to-do religious leaders, or the political power brokers in Jerusalem? No, He kept the company of some pretty shady characters – tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners the lot of them. And didn’t the pious, self-righteous religious leaders give Him a hard time over it.

He stopped by the house of Zacchaeus in Jericho. Now young Zac, being a tax collector, was despised by the Jews. He was dishonest, he extorted money from his fellow countrymen, and he collaborated with the occupying Romans. What’s not to hate about Zacchaeus? Yet, Jesus goes to his place for dinner with all his tax collecting mates.

Not surprisingly, the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, had a field day. They were scathing! And why wouldn’t they be? In their shoes, I suspect you and I would probably have said similar things. What was He thinking, hanging out with those traitors?

Here’s how Jesus responded:

Luke 19:9-10 “Today is the day for this family to be saved from sin. Yes, even this tax collector is one of God’s chosen people. The Son of Man came to find lost people and save them.”

Think about this. Jesus knew what criticism he’d cop from the establishment, and yet despite that, perhaps because of it, he deliberately went and had dinner in this den of robbers. He deliberately sought them out, went after them, in order to save them from themselves.

And friend, He’s still in that business; He’s still doing that today. In fact, maybe, just maybe, that’s what He’s doing with you, right now.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

‹ Previous Next ›