Start With A Meal!

12 May Start With A Meal!

Read Luke 19:2-10 (NLT)
Thought for the Day: As believers, we are asked to befriend the lost!

One of life’s greatest challenges is learning to love the so-called ‘unlovable’. Each of us encounters individuals whose actions or choices make it extremely challenging for others to develop deep and meaningful relationships with them. Still, we know we are called to show love and respect for all. So how do we do it? How do we love the ‘unlovable’? For starters, we need to learn from our Savior. No one is truly unlovable. Some people are just lost… we ALL need Jesus!

In Luke’s Gospel, we meet Zacchaeus, a man who was lost. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus had made a career of swindling his neighbors. But when Jesus came to town, everything changed. Unable to see through the crowd, he climbed a tree before being spotted by Jesus. Having come to seek and save the lost, Jesus invited Himself over to Zaccheus’ house for dinner despite the grumbling and frustration of the crowd. Amazed at Jesus’ compassion, Zacchaeus repented of his greed and wickedness: “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” It was Jesus’ love and willingness to share a meal with him that inspired Zacchaeus to change.

When we see people as ‘unlovable’, we quickly become the problem. No one is unlovable. Instead, just as Jesus came to seek and save the lost, Christ asks us to get to know all of our neighbors. Living in a time of incredible division, it is essential for Christians to follow Jesus and seek to end the division. One of the simplest ways we can do this is to befriend those who really struggle. Jesus does not call us to condemn anyone; we are called to befriend the lost!

So… what’s an easy way to start? When we see someone struggling, let’s invite him or her to join us for a meal!

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David