“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” – Luke 19:10
Luke 19 tells the story about a man named Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus. The story begins as Jesus makes his way through the town of Jericho. We learn that Zacchaeus was very rich as he was the chief tax collector in this region. We also learn that he was short in stature, which compelled him to climb a tree so that he could see above the crowd as Jesus was passing through. When Jesus came to the tree where Zacchaeus had climbed up, he stops and addresses Zacchaeus and tells him that he is coming to be a guest in his home. Zacchaeus was excited and overjoyed, but the people around grumbled about Jesus being the guest of a notorious sinner.
At the end of this story, Jesus responds, “The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” We see that Jesus really helps those who need it. And Jesus pursues this relationship and initiates these moments. We know that Zacchaeus was drawn to wanting to see Jesus for himself, but the invitation to a connection was given by Jesus. Because of this invitation in Zacchaeus’ life, he says that he will give half of his wealth to the poor and that he would give back four times as much to anyone that he had cheated. This is a transformational moment for Zacchaeus and for others to witness and see how Jesus lived out his mission and purpose to seek and save those who are lost.
Jesus does the same for all of us. And through this welcoming call, Jesus releases potential in each of us to do better and be better. This is part of the work of building a better world. Just like Zacchaeus, we can redeem our past mistakes and change our actions. The love that Jesus has for us compels us to make decisions to transform our lives and make a difference every day.
– Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry
