email : Webview : Duane Brooks - Every Day with Jesus

July 10, 2018

Luke 19:9-10

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.”

New International Version (NIV)

One pastor said, “There are two great moments in our lives: the moment we are born and the moment we realize why we were born.” I assume we have all had the first moment. What about the second?

                From the moment Jesus was supernaturally conceived he had a specific purpose in this world. His encounter with Zacchaeus gave him a perfect venue to explain why he was in the world. Nobody thought Zacchaeus, a collaborator with Rome, deserved any attention from any Jew at all, much less one who was the Messiah. Why did Jesus look up at Zacchaeus in the tree, call him by name and invite himself over to the tax-collector’s house? Jesus came to seek the lost.

                In chapter 15, when he was criticized by the religious leaders for eating with tax-collectors and sinners, Jesus responded with three stories about a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. When the lost son returned home, his brother resented his Father. He had helped his father but the whole time he had kept score. He foolishly believed he could put his father in his debt. Let us not make the same mistake. If we are all sinners then it takes the grace of God to save every one of us.

                In a recent song about God’s love, Cory says, “When I was your foe, your love fought for me. You have been so, so good to me.” Is that your story? In Romans 5, Paul who experienced God’s love said while we were still sinners Christ died for us.   He goes on to say we were powerless and enemies, literally haters of God. But God reconciled us to himself. Shouldn’t we care about the lost, too?

Pray with me:

Father, I thank you that you relentlessly pursued us while we ran away from you. Now that you have found us, help us to pursue you today with every fiber of our beings. Thank you for finding us and being willing for us to find you. We praise you for your unfailing love today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This year we focus our Every Day with Jesus readings on Jesus’ story. With references to Tallowood's Read Through the Bible in 2018 daily reading plan, let's focus our undivided attention on Jesus and follow where he lead. He will not fail. Neither will we!
Joyfully,
Duane

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