Missional living
Jesus was passing through! Not on his way to Jericho but passing through. Zaccheus represents a obstacle not an opportunity. Yet Zaccheus also represents Jesus' mission, seek and save the lost.
Amazing how Jesus' personal mission become a compass to his life.
On his way his radar is sensitized by his person mission, seek and save the lost. Up ahead is a man in a tree. Young boys climb trees not grown men! So seeing something out of the ordinary Jesus' missional radar goes off. Grown man in tree indicate interest beyond normal. This guy interest betrays his regard for his public image.
Face with this data Jesus stops his "passing thru" and goes to Zaccheus' home. Clarity of mission is so useful in the race of life. We run to the end, whatever that is but Jesus shows us how to get off the treadmill of life and get on a missional way of living.
I am sure there are people waiting where Jesus was going. There were probably opportunities to speak and people to be healed. Jesus stops dead his tracks doesn't whince one bit because as he says in verse 10, his mission is seek and save the lost.
Father, my clarity waxes and wanes. My mission clean out my email inbox, scan twitter before there are 100 tweets, pay bills, read this write that and so on. Not sure I have the guts to risk my image by allowing my day to be controlled by the mission of seeking and save the lost.
Jesus was just passive in this pursuit, he had eyes for those who were lost. He saw Z and reached out to him. He made him feel comfortable even took some flack from folks because he was going to the dreaded "tax collectors" house, a total heathen traitor.
Father my eyes are back out into the community and wonder how we can have the laser like addiction to finding those who aren't yet connected to you and doing whatever it takes to reach them. What parts of our population are unreached? Who don't I have eyes for? Where can we take the good news that it hasn't been effectively taken?
Created over 2 years ago
