What we can learn from a wee little man . . .

Now before I end up with every vertically challenged person in the Blog-o-sphere mad at me – this post is about Zacchaeus. I taught this story this past Sunday evening in LIFE Group. Funny thing about it – this may be the first time I have ever taught this story. As I studied I ran across some really great lessons that I thought that I would pass along.

Who was Zacchaeus?

He is called the chief tax collector. This would have set him up as both a thief and a traitor to his own people. Not exactly the person that you would probably seek out as someone to have supper with.

He is referred to as a son of Abraham. Even though he was a Jew – one of God’s chosen people – heritage and genealogy made no difference. He was still separate from a relationship with God until Jesus changed his life.

Being a little undignified is ok if it leads to a meeting with Jesus. Zacchaeus ran and climbed a tree – something very undignified for a grown man of his place in society.

Although Zacchaeus was seeking a look at Jesus – he was the one that was found. He was the host who became the guest. The party was to be at Zacchaeus’ house but it was Jesus that invited Zacchaeus to join Him. Jesus not only met Zacchaeus but He changed him forever. Zacchaeus demonstrated a change within through an outward action.

Zacchaeus’ name means “righteous one”. He may not have been living up to what his name meant in the beginning, but in the end he is right on the mark.

A lot of great lessons for ten verses about a man that most people did not want around them. Maybe these are the people that we should seek out in our society. These are the ones that Jesus says that He came to seek and to save. Until next time – end your eyes on Jesus and let’s climb a tree.

Who’s your neighbor – Part 3 . . .

Ok, yesterday we talked about our neighbors in light of; if they had value and seeing that value in light of how God sees that person. Today we will move forward with the next step. Now we are going to look at our neighbors through the light of scripture. God says that we are to “love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” I know that when I placed value on the relationship that Irene and I had, when we were dating, our relationship changed. When I realized that I loved Irene, our time together was necessary to me. Understanding that, and understanding that God places value on our neighbors, we need to understand that a relationship, with that neighbor, is longed for by God. When we begin to look at our neighbors as having worth and understanding that we are to love them as we love ourselves we should want to introduce them to the most important person in our lives – Jesus, so that they to can have a relationship with Him and His Father. So how do we bridge the gap with our neighbors so that they will be receptive to being introduced to Christ? We need to build relationships. There is generally is nothing complicated in building relationships. Generally it just takes time and effort on our part. Maybe, start with an invitation to a cookout in your backyard or dessert and coffee, maybe a churn of ice cream. There is any number of ways that can lead to building relationships. Hopefully these relationships will lead to a time that we will be able to introduce our neighbors to a way that they can have a relationship with Christ.
Until next time – keep your eyes on Jesus and ice cream is good for me.
P.S. Check out the poll on knowing your neighbors and cast your vote.

Who’s your neighbor – Part 2 . . .

Yesterday we started this discussion about who our neighbors are. Today we will go a little farther. I guess my question would be; why at one time in our society did we know who our neighbors were and today we may or may not know who they are? I think the answer to that question would be – value. Do we place a value on knowing who our neighbors are? Is there value in that person or persons that live next door or down the street from you? In God’s eyes there is. There was value enough in our neighbor that God sent His son Jesus to die on a cross, so that our neighbor could have the opportunity to have a relationship with Him. What we need to be able to do is see our neighbor as God sees them – as a person of value. We need to come to the understanding that God has placed a great value on each and every person in this world. Understanding that, we would never want something that we value to be ignored, forgotten, or discarded as something without worth. When we place a value in the people that live around us, then we will do what is needed to get to know our neighbors and possibly help in bringing about a change in their lives.
Until next time – keep your eyes on Jesus and go next door and introduce yourself.

Who’s your neighbor . . .

I can remember a time when we knew all of our neighbors. A time when we went to the neighborhood store or gas station – which at the time had a working garage - and people would stand around and talk. Talk was often about work, family, church, community – in short it was about life. Today I’m not sure that we know our neighbors. Life is at a dead run. We seem to only be at home to sleep and then it is off to work, school, ball games, church, and the thousand other things that we feel are important to life as we know it. We have phones, computers, PDA’s and several other ways to keep connected. Although it seems strange that I barely even know what my neighbor’s names are, much less if they have a relationship with Jesus. It seems that if the schools that our students go to everyday are their greatest mission field, then our greatest mission field is our own neighborhood and most often right next door. I’ll develop this thought more in the days to come. Until next time – keep your eyes on Jesus and go find out who you live next door to.