Jesus Loves Sinners! Do We?




Sometimes you hear people say that Christians are "hypocritical" or "judgmental".  And, in some cases this is true.  But Jesus shows us how God really looks at people today.  The story of Jesus interacting with Zaccheus, the tax collector, is one of the great stories in the bible.  In it we see Jesus' love for all people.

 Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 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.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and every step he takes he is showing people what God's kingdom looks like.  In this instance, a tax collector named Zacchaeus wanted to get his chance to check out Jesus.  Jewish tax collectors were despised by the Jewish people because they overcharged people to line their own pockets.  This explains why Zacchaeus was "wealthy".  Despite his wealth something led Zacchaeus to go as far as to climb a tree so he could get a glimpse of Jesus.  

 So what does Jesus teach us about God today?

1. Though man looks at the outside, God looks at the heart.  The people saw a greedy tax collector and Jesus saw a man looking to fill the hole in his soul.  Jesus teaches us to look beyond externals.  Though someone may appear successful on the outside, it doesn't mean they have it all together.

 2. God is available for those who seek him.  Jesus was going to be entering into Jerusalem, one of the most important days of his life, yet he had time for this one man.  Like a good shepherd, Jesus was more interested in the one person that was lost than ninety-nine who were saved.  Do we keep our eyes open for lost people who are looking for God?  Do we even care about them?

 3. Jesus went to his house.  At great risk he went to Zacchaeus' house to the disdain of the crowds. After all this man was a sinner.  If Jesus had been worried about what people thought of him, he would never had done it.  But Jesus cared more about this man's salvation than what anyone else thought of him.

 4. Jesus' great love for Zacchaeus had a great effect on him.  Zacchaeus agreed to give back four times the amount he had cheated anyone.  Zacchaeus responded to the great love and acceptance Jesus offered him radically.  Soon his money became inconsequential to him.  He found what he was looking for his whole life and it was worth everything to him.

 Jesus shows us once again his radical love for lost people, whether they be Jews or Gentiles.  Jesus came to save seek and save the lost.  He came to save anyone who would invite him into their house and their lives.  Jesus shows us today what God cares about most.  Lost people matter to God and hence they should matter to us.  

 Jesus not only cared about this man but went to his house.  It a was intentional, it was bold and it was risky.  Would you go to a sinner's house, even if it made you look bad?  Even if people questioned your motives?  There are many people like Zacchaeus out there today.  We often walk by them every day or assume they want nothing to do with God.  Let's keep our eyes open for men and women like Zacchaeus.  God still cares for lost people today, do we?

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