Thoughts about Zaccheus (Zac) and Jesus. (Luke 19:1-10)1) Some of Jesus best followers were outcasts or despised members of society. Bad people really do make great soil for the gospel.
-Zac would be like a top drug dealer today. He got his wealth by oppressing the poor. He was despised by most Jews for being a tool of Rome. Everyone despised him.
-Mary Magdalene, first to see Jesus resurrected, had 7 demons cast out of her.
-Gadarene demoniac (1,000s of demons in him) became evangelist in 10 cities.
-Samaritan Woman by the well was very inmoral yet she brought all of her friends to Christ.
-One of my good friends was a gang banger in East L.A. and is now passionately following Jesus. His life is as radical for Christ as it was in the streets of LA.
-Some of the most radical followers of Christ I know today, used to be really bad people. (aren't we all without Christ?)
2)Religion kills, Jesus Heals and Changes lives.
-Verse 7 says that all the religious people looked down upon Jesus because he was with a chief sinner. People called Jesus a drunk and a glutton because he spent time with sinners (Luke 7:36). We should spent more time with "sinners".
-These same religious people killed Jesus in order to keep their institutional power. Religion can kill.
-Jesus grace and love changed Zac. Only after Jesus had been in Zac's home did he change. Often we tell people they have to change before coming to Christ, yet here, Jesus accepts Zac before he changes. Important different between religion and relationship with Jesus. One tries to change you from the outside in (rules). The other changes us from the inside out (Christ's love and grace). Don't try to change people, that is God's job.
-Jesus died as the worst of criminals. If we are truly his followers, we must do what he did and spend time reaching out to sick and low lifes in society. Jesus healed people and changed their lives for the better. He still wants to do the same through our lives today.
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