The Obsession of My Life
(5 minutes)
On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus had to pass through Jericho. There lived a very wealthy man named Zacchaeus, who supervised all the tax collectors. He was very eager to see Jesus and kept trying to get a look at him through the massive crowd. Since Zacchaeus was a short man and couldn't see over the heads of the people, he ran on ahead of everyone and climbed up a blossoming fig tree to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed by. When Jesus got to that place, he looked up into the tree and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry on down, for I must stay at your house today!" So he scurried down the tree and found himself face-to-face with Jesus. As Jesus left to go with Zacchaeus, many in the crowd complained, "Look at this! Of all the people to have dinner with, he's going to eat in the house of a crook." Zacchaeus was amazed over his gracious visit to his home and joyously welcomed Jesus. Zacchaeus stood in front of the Lord and said, "Half of all that I own I will give to the poor. And Lord, if I have cheated anyone, I promise to pay them back four times as much as I stole." (Luke 19:1-8)
This week we've been looking at the story of the rich, young ruler and the story of Zacchaeus. Both of them were wealthy men. Both of them ran with eagerness to see Jesus. But we see a very different heart posture in the two of them. As we read the end of each story, we can see the heart posture rise to the surface.
Zacchaeus allowed his obsession with Jesus to reorder everything in his life. Zacchaeus doesn't just want to visit Jesus where He is; Zacchaeus is overjoyed to bring Jesus into his own home. Zacchaeus allows the grace of God to come in and change his priorities. Pastor Tim mentioned this on Sunday: "Our obsession with Jesus teaches our priorities how to act." When Jesus is enthroned as King in our hearts, He brings order to our lives and our priorities. Our obsession will always dictate our priorities. The question for us here is this: who is calling the shots? What or who is our obsession? And how is that obsession prioritizing our lives? Our obsession tells us what to focus on and what is most important to us. The obsession of the rich, young ruler is clearly seen in the end...and so is Zacchaeus'.
Yesterday we saw what church history tells us about the end of the rich, young ruler's life. He eventually became an old, broke slave. But have you ever heard the rest of the story for Zacchaeus? Some church fathers believed that Matthias, the 13th disciple called after Judas' departure to be a part of the Twelve, was actually Zacchaeus. Some stories tell us that Zacchaeus went on to become the first bishop in Caesarea. Zacchaeus' face-to-face encounter with Jesus changed everything. It redirected his entire life and established him as a Kingdom man who brought transformation to a very important city.
Zacchaeus' name means "pure" and "innocent." This was the heart posture he brought with him as he ran to Jesus. This was the heart posture that allowed him to climb up into devotion and intimacy with Jesus and have his life completely transformed. One man is defined by his wealth, his age, and his social status. But Zacchaeus is defined by Abba's declaration over him: pure and innocent. Zacchaeus was radically defined by his beloved identity. What he lacked in stature and social recognition, he more than made up for in being known as one beloved of the Father. This is what happens when we allow Abba's grace to come in and deal with the darkness that we have concerning the goodness of God. When we see the Father rightly, we see ourselves rightly. And nothing else matters!
Will you allow Jesus to come into your home and become the obsession of your life? Will you allow Him to lavish you with His goodness and grace to the point where your priorities are changed? Will you let Him be the Bridegroom King that brings order to every part of your life? Can you hear Abba's voice calling out to you, "Pure and innocent one, hurry into My presence today, for I desire to be with you? Will you let me make your home My dwelling place so we can live together in uninterrupted, unbroken companionship?"
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Worship: "Never Going Back" by United Pursuit
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
