What A Change

As the boss, he got the worst of it.

Not that it bothered him that much, because as the boss, it also meant he got the most money from the gig. He may not have been popular, but he didn’t mind as the money rolled in. He worked for it, he played the game and now people were envious of him and his position and his money.

It was just about maintaining his position. He knew he had to stay ahead of the others to do that. If that meant upsetting a few more people and clamping down to get a few more coins in, what would that matter? What would it matter?

He knew he wasn’t going to win anyway, if it wasn’t his job, it would be his money and if it wasn’t any of those, there was always the height thing. He sometimes had to be extra clinical because he knew people would bring up how small he was. So they had it coming to them.

Then Jesus came passing by. There was something about his reputation that nudged inside this little man. He had to at least get a glimpse of this guy to see what the fuss was all about. And maybe … but anyway, just seeing him would do the job. See what he does, hear what he says.

When Jesus spots him in the tree and invites himself over to dinner, though …

…

It didn’t matter what others were saying. All that mattered was that this man wanted to spend some quality time in his home, eating his food and enjoying his company.

And that changed everything.

Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” (Luke 19:8)

By the end of that encounter, this man was not about his riches or his position. He was about what was right in God’s sight. Right from the heart, because this man had reached out to spend quality time in his home, eating his food and enjoying his company.

From that moment, his perspective on everything changed, because his life was forever changed by this encounter with this man who brought salvation to his home.

Oh that we would see similar encounters taking place today as we spot those who might not be high up in the popularity stakes. Spot them and give them an opportunity to spend some quality time in their space where they’re comfortable and enjoying their company and sharing life-changing news.

(Photo by Chris Geirman on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden