Monday Devo

Read Luke 19:1-10. This passage reminds me of Romans 2:4 - it is your kindness that leads us to repentance. I bet Jesus wish he could have gotten the "self-righteous" to repent like Zacchaeus did! The Lord can see repentance in Zach's heart before he gets there and sometimes if we open our eyes so can we. We can see the brokenness. The spiritual Hunger. The readiness for change. Jesus is on his way to die but he has time on this last trip to Jerusalem for someone who is ready to repent.

God puts Zacchaeus' in our life all the time - they may not be up in trees but they can be hard to see. They don't often call out to us and neither did Zach in this story. They come to see our faith or our church - they want to observe because something is burning in their heart. This is why Peter tells us to always be prepared to give a reason for our faith. We never know when someone will come to us hungry for God. 

Jesus does something most strange. He invites himself over to Zach's house. A house of a sinner. Who knows what kind of parties and illegal things had happened there. Jesus came on a rescue mission. He's not scared of getting his hands dirty. He doesn't operate out of an office. He's in the lives of people - not offering a program as the answer - but offering himself.

Notice Jesus wasn't content to just be his friend. He led him to repentance. What did Jesus say on the way to his house? Did he confront? He led with love and acceptance and repentance came to the surface. Zach gives us the model of repentance. He paid back with interest. When we repent we do more than say "sorry" we make things right if at all possible.

questions

1) ask God if there is a Zach in your life you need to encounter deeper? (one seeking God)

2) Where can we offer more of our life to people? Just being with them?

3) Do we need to "make things right" with someone? If you have made a mistake and said or felt sorry - have you gone the extra mile to make things right?

pray