Jesus came to seek and save the lost. A perfect example of this is the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus was hated by the Jews because he was a tax collector for the Romans, and he took extra money for himself. Most Jews thought he was a traitor to his people. So why did Jesus say that He had to have dinner with him? To show us that He came to change people’s hearts toward God.
Zacchaeus must have felt that something was missing in his life, and that’s why he was curious about Jesus. Jesus chose to have dinner with him because he knew Zacchaeus' heart was ready for a change. Jesus gave him grace and showed Zacchaeus that he mattered to Him even though the Jews were against him. That led Zacchaeus to want to pay back those he had cheated even over and above what he had taken from them because he was so grateful for the kindness Jesus showed him.
We shouldn’t judge people as good or bad because we are all sinners. Instead, we should show them kindness. By giving them hope in Jesus, we plant the seed for a changed heart. So, how can you plant the seed this week?
How can you show kindness and tell someone about Jesus?
Invite someone to Church to hear the good news!
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for loving us no matter what we’ve done. Help us love the people around us no matter if they make good choices or bad choices. Give me the courage to be kind to someone different than me this week and invite them to hear about Jesus at church. Amen.