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Fifth Week of Lent
Scripture: Luke 19: 1-10
Our text quickly establishes a couple of facts about Zacchaeus. He is short, wealthy, corrupt and most folks don’t like him. It isn’t until the last verse that Luke tells us he was lost and lonely.
Zaccheaus was much like your typical Cobb County resident: busy, always on the go, texting, tweeting, or messaging with everyone, upwardly mobile, and partaking in the fruits of our consumer culture. Don’t kid yourself, most of us are lonely just like Zachlaeus. The Beatles had it right when they sang, “All the lonely people, where do they all come from?”
Zaccaeus, like you and I, had heard about Jesus. But notice that though he faces some major obstacles, he gets up out of his easy chair and takes the first step to come closer to Jesus. Once he took the first step, Jesus went out of his way to meet and transform him. Zacchaeus changed his ways; he began to pay back many times over all the folks he had cheated.
So when are you going to get honest with yourself and admit that you are facing some rocky patches in your life and take the next step around the obstacles that seem to block our faith journey toward wholeness? Empowered by a fresh dose of the Holy Spirit, why not start by just smiling and saying “Hello” to a neighbor. That little step could lead to a conversation, maybe even a meal together, and you could be on your way to a deep friendship that takes away some of your loneliness. Time is a wasting...
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