The Gospel Changes Lives
OPENING PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you today to learn more about you and your will for our lives. We know that in this life everyone walks with someone and we want to be intentional about whom we are walking with. Help us to be willing to share the Good News with others.
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
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. Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
REFLECT:
The story of Jesus and Zacchaeus, the tax collector, is so important because it shows the extent that the Gospel message is powerful and will change lives. Here is a tax collector who by his very nature would be well aware of the value and (perceived) importance of money. He has thus far spent his life accumulating wealth. One encounter with the person of Jesus and he is willing to give half of his possessions to the poor. Not only that, but he is also ready to give back four times to anyone he has cheated. That’s the power of knowing Jesus.
APPLY:
Maybe you’ve been following Jesus for a long time, maybe all your life. It might be difficult to remember how an initial encounter with Jesus changed you, but with some reflection today, let’s thank him for the ways he continues to change us.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Thank you, Jesus, for the power in your message. Sometimes we think that getting someone to see you is up to us, but it is not! The power is in you; our role is to share the Gospel. Amen.
CONTINUED READING:
Romans 1:13-17, Luke 19:1-10
WORSHIP: