This Week's Challenge
Dear Theophilus (Beloved Friend of God)
This week the class and I have been studying the works attributed to Luke (i.e The Gospel According to Luke and the Acts of the Apostles). From these writings, the amazing point that was recurrent throughout these portions of Scripture is Luke's concern for the poor. This is what he demonstrated in his observations about Jesus. I truly appreciated how Luke included everyone who was considered to be a second class citizen.
The culmination of the message that Jesus carried through the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles (Holy Spirit) is repentance and salvation for all who are lost. This is beautifully demonstrated in relation to the exchange between Zaccheaus and Jesus. Jesus sees, understands, and calls Zaccheaus who was the "lowest of the low in local and religious society. When Zaccheas responded to Jesus' invitation, the Religious ones... You know the type, the ones who go to church out of habit and not out of Love for God, saw that Jesus was going to abide with Zaccheaus, they raised what they thought was a "holy stink". But Jesus was not concerned with them. As a matter of fact, Jesus calls those who think they are holy because they wear the right clothes and say the right things--not realizing that holiness is first a condition of the heart--to task and declares "Today Salvation has come to this house because he (Zaccheaus) is also a Son of Abraham". Those are pretty strong words don't you think? Wait, there is more, For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save those who are lost.
In other words, to those who have a religious experience, and no relationship with God, Jesus is more concerned with the sincerity of the lowest of the low in society, not the ones who think that they are so much better than someone else, because they're more holy.
The reality is this, I am no better than the worst sinner. It is true that I have experienced the process called Sanctification, It is true that I live every day to the best of my ability for the Lord, it is true that I have a sin nature, but it is also true that I do not live under the control of that sin nature. Does that make me better than anyone? No. The reason is because there was a time when I lived for myself and in direct response to sin. But today I can say that I am no longer bound by that sin nature. Yes stuff happens and sin still happens, but it is not in control.
What about you? Are you living as one who is also a child of Abraham, whom Jesus has sanctified? Or are you living by the hairs of your sin nature?
