Throughout His ministry, Jesus stressed the importance of loving, forgiving, and caring. That’s why He was not ashamed to mingle with those considered to be society’s sinners and outcasts. This is why He left the crowd that was following Him and visited Zacchaeus, the tax collector. It is also of great interest to note that the Gospel of Luke does not record any rebuke or reproach while Jesus was in the house of the sinner Zacchaeus. Jesus simply shared His love and acceptance.
Looking at Jesus, Zacchaeus understood: “Jesus has no other agenda but to help me and save me!” This love of Christ not only converted Zacchaeus, but also brought him to a reformation of his life, to a divine transformation.
Ellen White wrote: “Christ came to bring salvation within the reach of all. Upon the cross of Calvary He paid the infinite redemption price for a lost world. His self-denial and self-sacrifice, His unselfish labor, His humiliation, above all, the offering up of His life, testifies to the depth of His love for fallen man. It was to seek and to save the lost that He came to earth. His mission was to sinners, sinners of every grade, of every tongue and nation. He paid the price for all, to ransom them and bring them into union and sympathy with Himself. The most erring, the most sinful, were not passed by; His labors were especially for those who most needed the salvation He came to bring. The greater their need of reform, the deeper was His interest, the greater His sympathy, and the more earnest His labors. His great heart of love was stirred to its depths for the ones whose condition was most hopeless and who most needed His transforming grace.”
The life of Christ clearly demonstrates that change in life is achieved more successfully through love and care than through sermonizing, confrontation, or criticism. As Ellen White reiterates: “We must expect to meet and bear with great imperfections in those who are young and inexperienced. Christ has bidden us seek to restore such in the spirit of meekness, and He holds us responsible for pursuing a course which will drive them to discouragement, despair, and ruin. Unless we daily cultivate the precious plant of love we are in danger of becoming narrow, unsympathetic, bigoted, and critical, esteeming ourselves righteous when we are far from being approved of God.”
P.S. Above is a very simple animated cartoon about the story of Zaccheus that a friend of mine helped me stumble upon today. It’s a bit long, but before I knew it, I had watched through the whole thing and was deeply touched by the depiction of the story in this video.
See you soon,
Kelsey 😀
Lessons I Learn 