Is He Like Joe?

Zacchaeus Up a Tree
courtesy photobucket.com

As Pastor Jerry read from Luke 19:1-10 I gleaned from his Sunday Sermon.

Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Pastor suggested that as children we may have sang the little song Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee man was he - -.  Many of us remembered the song.

It was interesting to note that Jesus called out his name that meant “Pure or Righteous” while the crowd perceived Zach as a sinner.

The response from Zacchaeus was immediate repentance and an act of restitution.

Jesus told many stories of lost things, and Zach was one of these who was lost.  Many times we too are lost when we find ourselves in the wrong place. 

Zach was up a tree both literally and figuratively, but Jesus knew he was there.  The Sycomore tree is a tree with low branches, and in order to see Jesus this little man needed a higher plane.

Zach was a tax collector and they were a hated lot, for they skimmed off the taxes for their own gain.  Zach was very rich, but he was willing to return four times to those he had defrauded, plus give large sums of money to the poor.

The crowd watching all this began to grumble and complain and tell Jesus that this man is a scoundrel and a sinner; so why would Jesus desire to go to his house?

We are often guilty of type casting or profiling individuals.  Not all poor are alike and not all rich are alike.  Not all ethic groups are alike, and not all Christians are alike.

Jesus knows our name and he sees us as individuals in need of a Savior and calls us Righteous when we come to him.  Jesus saw Zach as a Son of Abraham and called him by name, “Pure.”

Pastor told a story about a homeless drunk named Joe.  Joe visited the local rescue mission and was gloriously converted.  From that day on, Joe helped all those who found themselves at the mission. 

 

Joe would help those who were too drunk to walk and put them to bed.  He cleaned and did the tasks that no one else wanted to do.  Joe was a living testimony of the Grace of God.  One day one of the regulars went to the altar bench to repent and all he could say was, “Oh Lord make me like Joe.”  The director of the mission tried to correct the man, and said, “No Say it this way, Make me like Jesus.”  The man looked up and said, “Is he like Joe?”

May others be able to see enough of Jesus in us, to call out, “Oh Lord make me like Joe (or Sally) !!

 

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This post is shared with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

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