God of Boundless Acceptance

Passage to Read: Luke 19: 1 - 9

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, 
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
(Luke 19:5)

Whenever I come across this incident that happened in Jericho, nearly two-thousand years ago, it fascinates me a step further than the prior. This unbelievable encounter of Zacchaeus with Jesus is a reminder of how God accepts us as we are, irrespective of what the people around us think about us. It shows us that when it comes to the boundariless love of God, what others' judgements about us is not of any value. Because God accepts us as we are! And that is why I am reminding you today that our Lord is a God of Acceptance. 

As we read the passage mentioned above (Luke 19:1-9), we get a clear description of this little incident that happened between Jesus and this famous chief tax-collector in Jericho named Zacchaeus. If you ask a child who has heard the story at the Sunday School or at home, you could easily get the important pointers about this Zacchaeus. "Lived in Jericho - Tax-Collector - Wealthy - Short - wanted to see Jesus - couldn't see over the crowd - so climbed on a Sycamore-Fig Tree!" Great. And this is all we need to know about him. This was enough for the Jericho society to judge him too. 

Zacchaeus was a tax-collector, and that was one of the most hated-social-presence by the people at that time in Jericho. The impression of a tax-collector was generally negative, especially about the way how tax-collectors earned their extra money. Imagine being a chief - "a promising sinner." But, for God, this "sinner" was precious. God wanted to establish a beautiful, heart-throbbing relationship with this person, for He loves everyone beyond the human limitations. 

We know very well what happened. The gospel of Luke says, "When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Wow! Imagine the heartbeat inside Zacchaeus at that time. Imagine how he would have felt when Jesus stopped under that tree, something that he did not want to happen. And to add to that, this famous man Jesus looks up. "Oh no!" And guess what? He calls him by name! "Ah. How does this Jesus know my name? Where did he check it out? Anyone told him? Anyone complained about me? More than anything, someone had seen me climbing up this tree?" How many things would have been going inside this tax collector's brainy head. And to complete this shock treatment, Jesus says "I must stay at your house today!" 

Look at the approach Jesus had towards Zacchaeus. It was not a road-side acceptable. But it was a boundless acceptance which did not even end in a short visit to home, but in Jesus staying at Zacchaeus's house that day. So Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed Jesus gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But their muttering was soon silenced by this great move. 

Where are those people who judged him? Where are those people who called him "a sinner?" Where are they? Who silenced them? The answer is Jesus. And what great thing did Jesus do to silence all these tongues? His boundless love gave the boundless acceptance to Zacchaeus. Yes, and that love changed Zacchaeus's life forever. Look at the change that this act of boundless acceptance brought in the life of this so-called sinner. 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.” Wow. 

Not again another sermon. Not a three days workshop. Not a five-day youth camp. Not a retreat.  No fire. No rain. No altar call. No invitation for repentance. No commitment for ministry. But just an immense love expressed and a boundless acceptance was enough for this kind and good-hearted Zacchaeus to feel the mistake he was doing all this while. This acceptance did not just change his life, but it brought deliverance in the life of many poor families which struggled out of the excess tax payments. Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham."

This is what God is calling you into. Today, as you read this, you may be experiencing the same as Zacchaeus did. You may be judged as a sinner, an outcast, someone with a bad past, hopeless, useless and what all. But God is today inviting you for an encounter. His love for you is boundless and with arms open wide Jesus tells to you "come as you are." Just come and receive Him gladly into your heart. Let His presence change things in your life. Let others see the change in your life. Just like what happened to Zacchaeus, your weaknesses in the past will become quadrupled strengths. And just as how God is accepting you boundlessly, He is also inviting you on this day to share the same boundless love amongst others. 

I pray that God will lead all of us into a spirit-filled life, where we taste and experience this boundless acceptance from our loving Lord our God and will share the same boundless love and acceptance with others too. May the love of Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit be with you and lead you.

May God bless you.

Yours in Christ,