Radically Changed Lives

   Perhaps you recall the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10).  One day as Jesus traveled through Jericho, Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector heard that Jesus was passing through and wanted to get a look of who this Jesus was.  Being a short guy, he could not see over the people who had gathered around Jesus.  So he went down the street and climbed a tree to check out Jesus.  When Jesus saw Zacchaeus up in the tree, Jesus told him to get down because Jesus was coming over to his house.

   Zacchaeus was a sinner, everyone in Jericho knew that.  Now Jesus was heading over to the house of a “real, notorious” sinner.  Why would Jesus associate with a sinner?  Didn’t Jesus know how badly Zacchaeus had ripped people off, how much money he had taken from his relatives, friends and everyone else in his village?  Going to someone’s home was to be a very special treat, occasion, in fact an honor to enter a person’s home.  Jesus said He was God.  God would never do anything like that!

   How many of us would be like the people in Jericho, and scoff and complain that Jesus was spending time with a terrible person?  Zacchaeus had gotten rich off the people who lived around him.  He stole a lot of money from the people who were friends and neighbors.  In reality, Zacchaeus was truly not a good person.  Being a tax collector meant you were a traitor, ...

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