Building Relationships

Luke 19:5b And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said unto him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house.”-

Building relationships requires that we take time out of our busy schedule and spend time with others. Put off that project, clean the house another day, put down the cell phone and all the social media. All of these things have there place and are important in life. But there are times that we need to stop the train, get off and spend time getting to know people face to face. Jesus, took time to visit with Zacchaeus. He desires to sit and visit with this tax collector. It matters not who they are, everyone needs someone to know they care. In a day, where the demands of life press on, it is important that we take time out our lives to connect with people in a meaningful way. May we all be willing to put people first and build relationships that will be everlasting.

Seek After Jesus

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost”-

Zacchaeus, a man who seemly had everything, except peace in his heart. Even though he was a wealthy and rich man, he was not satisfied. He did not have a popular position, but it gave him a status in life that few enjoyed in that day. Yet, he no doubt went to work each day with emptiness. The word was spreading that Jesus was coming to Jericho, and he was doing miracles that had not been seen in years. Zacchaeus had no need of physical healing, or material needs, yet he was a man searching for something more meaningful than the things of this world. He realized that he was spiritually bankrupt and his soul was not right with God. He needed spiritual healing and he heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho. Not only did he seek after Jesus, but Jesus was seeking after him. God is seeking for those who realize that they are lost in sin. Zacchaeus did not care what people thought of him, he was determine to find God. Even as he sat there in the sycamore tree, Jesus was seeking him. It was for this reason that He had come to Jericho, to find Zacchaeus. That is why Jesus came to Cucamonga, CA on Feb. 21st 1974. He heard the cry of my heart and gave me a new life with eternal purpose. 

Seeking the Lost

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”-

Seeking the lost is what Jesus came to do. Human nature seeks to fill the void in its heart, Christ puts the desire in each person to seek for purpose and meaning. We seek that the heart may be satisfied and that peace may rest the trouble heart from sin. Christ came to provide a way that we can be fulfilled. Sin does all it can to keep us from responding to the Savior’s call. We all like sheep have gone astray and need help from wandering our own way. It would appear that Zacchaeus went out to seek Christ. He climbed the tree because he sought to see Him, but Jesus already knew the heart of Zacchaeus, and made plans to have an encounter with him. God desires that we seek Him, for in the day we seek Him, we will find Him. For Christ is already seeking us, and desires to dine with us. Whether we realize it or not, we were all lost and headed in the wrong direction. The grace of God is reaching us where we are, and bringing us out of sin. He sought us, and bought us. He found us and knocks at our doors heart wanting to come in. He seeks to save the lost, but we must want to be saved. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrench like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see“.  This is why He came!