Re: Verse reading – Luke 19:1-10 (day one)
“When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” (v 5) It is a term we use often. A personal relationship with Jesus. An attempt to define/describe salvation and the friendship we discover in Christ. Not legal. Not mechanical or organizational. Personal. Intimate. One-on-one. It starts with Jesus. The Zach story reminds me. Jesus looked up and noticed. Called him by name. Noted the real (pride- shattering) spiritual interest. Wanted to have lunch and a visit. Individual attention. Personal relationship. No crowds for Jesus. Individuals. The reason we can have an personal relationship with Christ is that He is willing to have a personal relationship with us. ” ‘Come, let us reason together’, says the Lord.” (Isaiah 1:18) Let us talk and listen to each other. Let us be real friends, honest. I want to know you personally. It is the way people get saved.
Jesus met a the needs of a very lonely man. I am sure that because of his job Zacchaeus,
had little to no friends. When Jesus spotted him in the tree, His first words were not those of condemnation or hate. He told him to come down so that they could eat lunch together as though they were long lost friends. Our spiritual needs as well as our need for love and friendship are vital to reaching out to each other.