“Seek And Save The Lost”
Jesus
entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus;
he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but
because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When
Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house
today.” So he
came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All
the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a
sinner.”
But
Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord!
Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated
anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Jesus
said to him, “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.”
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus was a hated man. He was not only a tax collector, but he kept some
of the money he collected for himself.
The loving attention of Jesus
changed the life of Zacchaeus.
The mission Jesus was on is the
same as today – diligently search for lost people, wherever they are and
whatever their social standing and offer them salvation. As followers of Christ
that is also our own mission.
Christ’s mission is
our mission.
Our Daily Bread –