Zacchaeus: "Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house.' - Luke 19

As I have sought the Lord to hear His voice, I am always in awe of the times He lays a verse on my heart and "instructs" me to search it out, because He has something to share with me. =) Jesus is just SO COOL!

This past week, I've been praying a lot for some very dear friends. I've been asking the Lord to show me how to Love them with His love, to be His hands and feet and to be His "Aroma of Christ in every place." - 2 Corinthians 4:17

A few days ago, I kept getting Zacchaeus in my head. What? Zacchaeus? Where did he come from? Isn't he the guy that's in the little children's song..."Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he." Well, the Holy Spirit wouldn't let up and for three days I kept getting Zaccaeus popping up in my head. 

So yesterday I went on a search. =) 

As I read Luke the Lord began to reveal some REALLY amazing things from this passage on Zacchaeus! The biggest thing that I discovered was that this man who was hated by many in his society because he was rich and most all of his wealth was gained by cheating and stealing from others wanted to see Jesus... "He wanted to see who Jesus was..." He had heard about Jesus. He had heard about all the miracles, all the deliverances, all the amazing signs and wonders and LOVE of this man Jesus and he wanted to see Him SO MUCH that he actually sought him out by climbing up a tree! Doing something pretty foolish! 

And what did Jesus do? He picks Zacchaeus out of the crowd as he is coming up to the tree he was in and says, "“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."...Jesus had already made the decision to be at Zacchaeus's house that day! And I believe he decided to go to Zaccheaus's house because he knew that Zacchaeus had a desire to KNOW who He was! That he was struggling within with all that he had been about and he was seeking Him out. 

I see this all as a BEAUTIFUL and LOVELY truth that our precious Lord Jesus is sharing with us through this account. That as we seek Him out...even in our hard places, our undeservedness, yes, our sin, He will reach out to us and seek us out ...IMMEDIATELY! Out of all those people he told Zacchaeus He was going to HIS house. What a BEAUTIFUL PRECIOUS EXTRAVAGANT example of How Jesus loves ALL of us no matter where we are! No matter what we have done! No matter what we feel we can never be forgiven for! And His mercies are new every morning! He is "Christ the Redeemer!" "Nothing is Impossible with God"...even our past. WOW! And that He comes IMMEDIATELY as we take those steps TOWARDS Him! 

 And what happened next? Just because he was in the presence of Jesus his heart was changed!! Transformed!...thus Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”...Hebrews says, "What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” - Romans 4:3...Zacchaeus was a child of Abraham because his FAITH was counted to him as righteousness...not that he fit any mold, but that he "Believed God". The beauty of Jesus is that He is the one who transforms us by His LOVE, he makes us clean and white as snow...and I never realized all that was in this little children's song until today as the Lord has laid Zacchaeus on my heart this week. And I love the way the Holy Spirit teaches us. 

"For the Lord will give you understanding in everything." - 2 Timothy 2:7. 

So, as I have been asking the Lord to show me how to Love others with His EXTRAVAGANT Love, He says to me through this account..."Keep showing people who I am, Love them, and allow My presence to move and transform those around you." It's nothing I do, it's Him that lives in me.

Jesus is JUST SO AWESOME and BOY! DO I LOVE HIM!!! =) 

As my dear friend, Pastor Ron says, "Keep Making Jesus Famous!"