Luke 19:1-10 | March 16 |
My girls have enjoyed Avatar: The Last Airbender series. This series is different than the other smurf based Avatar. Rather than blue people, each nation is tied to one of the four elements (earth, air, water, and fire). They can control the elements, which of course leads to battles. After the show the battle ensues in our house and I am blasted with air and water and stones — Fire Nation are the bad guys, so rarely am I roasted like a marshmallow.
Still, with all these elements flying around our house, I doubt this could work in real life. Can you imagine a parent sending a fire nation kid to their room? Right now my children stomp up the stairs… fire nation kids would burn the place down! The idea is splendid in our imagination – ruinous in real life.
Some things are meant for the mind. Wonderful to ponder, impractical to live. So many books are this way – taking us on an amazing journey. Other things would be ridiculous left in the mind. For instance: I paid the bills in my mind…
This is true of Christ. Our faith is of the heart and mind. Yet if our faith is left in the mind, it is imaginary. Our belief demands action. We are not saved by works – but our faith impacts real life. This is why Jesus makes his declaration. Zacchaeus did not made a confession of faith, but of action. And that is the sign of salvation.
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Fellowship Challenge
Do something to show someone you love them.
Don’t tell them. Show them.