the rumor of Jesus

Luke 19:1-10

"He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich. Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for He was about to pass through that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner..."

our staff team was discussing this passage and my boss told me i should write out my thoughts. it was sort of my inspiration to begin this blog in the first place. i do need to write more. it's in me...it just needs to come out.

so, zaccheus is a chief tax-collector. not a well-loved guy...what was considered a "pretty big sinner"...yet, he is the one straining to see who Jesus is. he wants to see Him so badly that he runs and climbs a tree. but why?

verse 3 says that he "was trying to see who Jesus was." this man...this sinner...had never even met Jesus...he had merely heard of Him. the rumor of Jesus that he heard was apparently so moving, so unbelievable, that he just HAD to see Him for himself.

and i wonder...what of that rumor of Jesus? who did zaccheus hear from? it must have been someone. it makes me think about something philip yancey said in his book, "what's so amazing about grace." he says that sinners used to flock to Jesus...and yet, today, sinners do their best to avoid Christians...to run the other way. i heard a statistic that Christians are the third most hated group in this country after child-molesters and rapists. i believe it...and i know why.

are we not ashamed? my throat gets tight and my eyes get wet as i think about the mess WE'VE made of the message of Jesus. we are NOT walking versions of the gospel. is the rumor of Jesus so powerfully evident in our lives that people can't help but flock to Jesus? would they climb trees and scale mountains just to get a glimpse of his face?

are we so slow to learn to be conduits of His love? do we cause people to want to meet Jesus, or are we like the disciples, "grumbling" and saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner?" last night i heard someone say, "Jesus was killed...mostly because of the people He hung out with...the prostitutes, the tax-collectors...the sinners."

am i really about the business of my Jesus? the true business of Jesus?

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

Micah 6:8 -
"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."

edit: and furthermore...why are we not running to Jesus like zaccheus did? why are we not desperate to be with Him?? we are sinful and need Him just as badly...every single day. every single stinkin' day.