The transformational encounter

We all know the story of Zacchaeus, short, rich and by his own admission a thief. Zacchaeus would have been unpopular and despised, but he wanted to see Jesus, not from a distance, not through a crowd but properly, even if it meant looking undignified by climbing up a tree and almost certainly joining the children and youth up there. 

The more amazing thing is that Jesus wanted to meet Zacchaeus. Along came Jesus, surrounded by a throng, and stopped, looked up and called Zacchaeus by name and invited himself to dinner. Imagine the Queen walking the line when she suddenly picks you out by name, even though you’ve never met her, and invited herself to dinner. That’s the reality of what happened. Zacchaeus, the unpopular, despised tax collector was honoured in the sight of the crowd. And Zacchaeus immediately received Jesus and the encounter was transformational.  In the sight and sound of everyone Zacchaeus promised extreme restitution, to pay back four times what he had stolen. 

At this point the crowd lost the plot and grumbled about Jesus dining with a sinner. Jesus drew their attention to the fact that this was what he came to do, seek and save the lost but surely it didn’t mean people like Zacchaeus?  It did.  The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart 1 Samuel 16: 7b. 

A similar thing happened at Gadarenes when Jesus delivered the demoniac from many demons so that he was free, clothed and in his right mind, surely a case of great rejoicing. Instead, the crowd were frightened and begged Jesus to leave. Admittedly their livelihood of a herd of pegs was now at the bottom of the lake, but didn’t they have any compassion for this poor man bound and out of his mind? 

One encounter with Jesus transforms the life of any individual, no matter how wretched but our response is very telling. Are we full of self-righteous indignation (the elder brother syndrome) that Jesus could wish to not just associate with but transform an individual or are we fearful of the power of God to move in miracle-working power that will truly transform lives? I believe that wonderful verse in John 13: 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another, will become evident when we truly rejoice over one sinner saved and set free. 

The Kingdom will certainly be evident amongst us when the Church has a different mindset from the world and celebrates when the broken, lost and rejected sinners are touched by an ever-loving God. The most powerful testimony of God’s transformational power is a life transformed and a Church eager to celebrate and testify to a sceptical world that God is real and here’s the evidence. 

Loving the one

Recently I have been so challenged by Jesus' concern for the individual. The Hillsong song So will I has the lovely line - You're the one who never leaves the one behind. God is passionate about the individual. He died for each one of us individually, not as a mass of humankind. I felt I couldn't better explain this by writing a fresh blog so I am re-posting this one from August 2015.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. Mark 5: 15 – 17

The reaction of the local people to the casting out of the legion of demons from the demon possessed man is very interesting.  When they came and found the man ‘dressed and in his right mind’ they were not astonished or amazed but afraid.  This was not the normal reaction of the crowd when Jesus performed miracles. That was usually one of wonder and praise to God.  These people were afraid and when they saw what had happened to their pigs, they ‘pleaded’ with Jesus to leave.

They did have a bit of a point though. 2000 pigs had just gone helter skelter over the cliff and their livelihood with it. To lose 2000 porkers at one time would have been quite a blow to quite a few people, probably Gentiles, as they were the ones who kept pigs, the ultimate unclean animals. 

Their only thought was the loss of their pigs in the lake. Jesus’ thought had been the delivering of a wretched demon-possessed man. In the big picture, his was the greater need. Jesus always went for the one, the individual. He told the parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd left the 99 to go and look for the one.  Jesus wanted to know who had touched his garment in a heaving crowd of humanity when the lady plagued by bleeding reached out for her miracle. 

Jesus’ concern for the individual is a wonderful encouragement for us as well. Sometimes, it can feel as if we are not making any difference in this world. There are so many needs and our contribution is so small. 

Have you heard the story of a boy on a beach the day after a terrible storm?  The beach was covered in starfish, washed up by the storm, and one by one the boy was throwing them back into the sea. An old man came along and laughed at the boy, telling him that he was not making much difference throwing them one by one back into the ocean. The boy picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea and replied, ‘Well it made a difference to that one.’ He understood the need of the individual. 

I have been reading a book by a missionary to Burundi, one of the most heart breaking countries on earth, torn for years by civil war, brutality, terrible poverty and disease. One day when visiting South Africa the missionary and a friend took an orphan, dying of AIDS, on a long journey to fulfill a wish to swim in the ocean. He loved it but soon after he died. Was it worth it the missionary wondered? 

You bet it was.  ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 40.  We may not be able to fix the world’s problems but we can make a significant difference to the life of an individual.  We can sponsor a child, we can give to charity, we can pray for individuals and churches. 

If everyone did that, we may find that some of the world’s problems, especially abject poverty, surely this generation’s greatest disgrace, would be lessened.