I was really blessed by Andrew Womack's devotional for today!
MINISTER GOD'S LOVE
Luke 19:8 "And Zacchaeus
stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the
poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore
him fourfold."
Zacchaeus was rich but Jesus made
no demands for him to give away all his goods to the poor as He did with the
rich young ruler. Zacchaeus had already repented and money was no longer his
god, as was revealed by his actions. It seems that Zacchaeus was going above
and beyond the requirement of restitution as stated in Mosaic law by offering
to give half of his goods to the poor and to repay fourfold for his theft.
Publicans were hated by their
fellow Jews. They were especially despised by the religious Jews as the epitome
of sinners and Jewish religious laws prevented devout Jews from keeping company
with any publican. To eat with a publican was unthinkable as the Jews
considered this actually partaking of the publican's sins. This is why the
people reacted so adversely to Jesus eating with Zacchaeus.
Jesus did not eat at Zacchaeus'
house to participate in his sin but to extend mercy and forgiveness to him.
This is always the criterion whereby we can judge whether or not we should be
involved in a certain situation. We must not participate in other men's sins,
but the Lord doesn't want us to retreat to monasteries either. We are the salt
of the earth (Matthew 5:13), and to do any good, we have to get out of the
"salt shaker." If we can be in control and minister the love of God,
then we are right to associate with sinners. But when we are being controlled
by the ungodliness of sinners, we need to take control or withdraw.
As I was growing up in the things of God as a new believer, I remember hearing other believers speak of wanting to live in a Christian commune of some sort, where they never had to be around the world. We DO have that to look forward to in Heaven, and we DO have a responsibility to spend time with like-minded believers, but if we are to be the Light of the World, as representatives of Heaven on earth, we do have to deal with the world! The last paragraph above gives the right balance to this! BE the LIGHT, and if you find it beginning to overwhelm, then pull back and have fellowship with like-minded believers! Be active in your church so that you can be recharged, renewed, fed, encouraged, built up and then sent out again as a missile into the world! After all, that IS why we are here! To seek and save the lost! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Children of the Light":
Shalom in Him!
