Luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1-10
Today, we get to study a very familiar story in Luke 19… Jesus and Zacchaeus (sorry for the long post, but I pray God uses it in your life)! When I think about what I see in this story the word that comes to my mind is INTENTIONALITY. Jesus is a master at it.
Intentionality… This is at the core of who we are at CPC but this should also be at the core core of who YOU ARE.
INTENTIONALITY is defined as to be deliberate, to be purposeful.
As followers of Jesus this is exactly how we should live.. We should be intentional with where we go, who we hang out with, in our words, in our actions and especially with those around us…
This makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the world with people… This shows people they are important, that they are valued & this helps us make good decisions. Being Intentional helps us not just float through life like it is so easy to do but live on PURPOSE.
Jesus modeled this so well throughout his life. At the center of the message of Jesus is INTENTIONALITY… that Jesus purposefully left heaven to come to earth to live a perfect life on our behalf and pay for our sin by dying on the cross and rising again so that we can know Him and be forgiven.
I love the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus… You may not see it at first, but Jesus is VERY INTENTIONAL here… and it has a GREAT IMPACT on Zaccheaus. We are not called to be SHALLOW with people around us. We are called to be deep, to be real, & to be intentional.
Jesus was not shallow… Jesus was personal. He didn’t just see people… He saw an eternal being made in the image of God and He loved them enough to be intentional.
Zaccheaus was probably struggling. He was a Tax collector which means he was hated because he was considered a cheater and a thief, which he was as we learn.
He had money but it still wasn’t enough. He was still empty. He was lonely. Everyone looked at him in disgust. He had no hope.
Then he heard about Jesus. He knew Jesus was coming and he wanted to see Him. He had heard of Jesus. The God-Man that healed people, that brought life change. If anyone was going to be able to bring restoration it was Him.
So he climbed up in a tree just to get a glimpse.
Then the most AMAZING thing happened… Jesus came… Looked past the crowds, over their heads and called Him by name…
HE LOOKED UP AT ZACCHAEUS AND CALLED HIM BY NAME. “ZACCHAEUS!” HE SAID. “QUICK, COME DOWN! I MUST BE A GUEST IN YOUR HOME TODAY.
This is INTENTIONAL BY JESUS.
When you call someone by name… you are making a statement about a person’s existence, purpose, and value.
When you call someone by name… you are saying someone is worth remembering…
When you call someone by name… you silently communicate an answer to a number of questions like…
Names are important… Jesus goes on…
He didn’t just say, “Hey Man! Get your life together…” -- He said, “Let me come to your house! Let’s be friends!”
He knew what mattered to Him. He knew he felt alone…. So alone that he climbed a tree. He knew he felt like an outcast. He took interest in what HE needed. He could have said, “I don’t have time for you…” but he doesn’t… as we read… he goes in the crowd… he looked up…
He saw Zaccheus’ heart.
He knew what mattered to Zaccheus.
And he knew that Zaccheas really mattered… that he was worth it.
He went to his house.
6 ZACCHAEUS QUICKLY CLIMBED DOWN AND TOOK JESUS TO HIS HOUSE IN GREAT EXCITEMENT AND JOY.
He had felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time… He felt noticed, he felt cared for, he felt valued… he felt seen.
I love that Jesus went to his house. He went into HIS world. He didn’t have Zaccheaus come to his world. He didn't invite him to grab some bread at the temple.
When we spend time with someone in THEIR world not only do we grow in our understanding of them but we show them that they matter.
I am not saying we shouldn’t invite people into our world… into church… to things like this… OF COURSE WE SHOULD….
But if that is ALL we do, we are communicating something… something that we may not want to communicate.
If all we ever do is have people come to us, THEY ARE THE MISSIONARIES, we are called to intentionally go to them and help them see Jesus and bring them into the church.
Jesus went.
It didn’t matter to Jesus that Zaccheus was known as a NOTORIOUS SINNER, Jesus went anyway. He didn’t approve of what He had done but He didn’t let it stop him from loving Him and being intentional.
He showed Zaccheus with his intentionality that he was still worth being loved.
Jesus didn’t go party with him… he didn’t go steal money with him… he went and ate with Him… He talked to Him. He looked at him and built a relationship.
Not everyone understood, but that's okay. He pursued Zaccheus in a holy way to love him & show him that there was a better way.
Jesus showed Him that he didn’t have to be this way. There was hope for Him. There was forgiveness. There was life change. .. and that it was all found in HIM… Jesus.
Zaccheaus turned to Jesus and repented of His sin. He looked to him for forgiveness and Jesus did not hold back and WOW did it change Zaccheus’ life forever!
Never forget, God never wastes our intentionality with people.
Jesus called Him by name.
Jesus knew how he felt and what he needed.
Jesus went to him.
Jesus didn’t let His sin keep Him from loving him.
Jesus showed him that life with God is so much better.
That morning, Zaccheus left home alone.
That afternoon, Zaccheus returned home with a friend.
That morning, he went to get a glimpse of Jesus.
That afternoon, His entire life was changing because of Jesus.
And that was ALL because Jesus was INTENTIONAL.
Intentionality is at the core of who Jesus is & who we are at CPC but it should also be a core of who we are in our day to day life as we desire to take everyone we meet another step closer to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Discussion:
How can you increase our intentionality?
Who does God want you to be intentional with in your world?
By: Nick Parsons
Today, we get to study a very familiar story in Luke 19… Jesus and Zacchaeus (sorry for the long post, but I pray God uses it in your life)! When I think about what I see in this story the word that comes to my mind is INTENTIONALITY. Jesus is a master at it.
Intentionality… This is at the core of who we are at CPC but this should also be at the core core of who YOU ARE.
INTENTIONALITY is defined as to be deliberate, to be purposeful.
As followers of Jesus this is exactly how we should live.. We should be intentional with where we go, who we hang out with, in our words, in our actions and especially with those around us…
This makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the world with people… This shows people they are important, that they are valued & this helps us make good decisions. Being Intentional helps us not just float through life like it is so easy to do but live on PURPOSE.
Jesus modeled this so well throughout his life. At the center of the message of Jesus is INTENTIONALITY… that Jesus purposefully left heaven to come to earth to live a perfect life on our behalf and pay for our sin by dying on the cross and rising again so that we can know Him and be forgiven.
I love the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus… You may not see it at first, but Jesus is VERY INTENTIONAL here… and it has a GREAT IMPACT on Zaccheaus. We are not called to be SHALLOW with people around us. We are called to be deep, to be real, & to be intentional.
Jesus was not shallow… Jesus was personal. He didn’t just see people… He saw an eternal being made in the image of God and He loved them enough to be intentional.
Zaccheaus was probably struggling. He was a Tax collector which means he was hated because he was considered a cheater and a thief, which he was as we learn.
He had money but it still wasn’t enough. He was still empty. He was lonely. Everyone looked at him in disgust. He had no hope.
Then he heard about Jesus. He knew Jesus was coming and he wanted to see Him. He had heard of Jesus. The God-Man that healed people, that brought life change. If anyone was going to be able to bring restoration it was Him.
So he climbed up in a tree just to get a glimpse.
Then the most AMAZING thing happened… Jesus came… Looked past the crowds, over their heads and called Him by name…
HE LOOKED UP AT ZACCHAEUS AND CALLED HIM BY NAME. “ZACCHAEUS!” HE SAID. “QUICK, COME DOWN! I MUST BE A GUEST IN YOUR HOME TODAY.
This is INTENTIONAL BY JESUS.
When you call someone by name… you are making a statement about a person’s existence, purpose, and value.
When you call someone by name… you are saying someone is worth remembering…
When you call someone by name… you silently communicate an answer to a number of questions like…
- “Do you notice when I am there? Or not there?
- “Do you like me?”
- “Do you recognize and see me?”
Names are important… Jesus goes on…
He didn’t just say, “Hey Man! Get your life together…” -- He said, “Let me come to your house! Let’s be friends!”
He knew what mattered to Him. He knew he felt alone…. So alone that he climbed a tree. He knew he felt like an outcast. He took interest in what HE needed. He could have said, “I don’t have time for you…” but he doesn’t… as we read… he goes in the crowd… he looked up…
He saw Zaccheus’ heart.
He knew what mattered to Zaccheus.
And he knew that Zaccheas really mattered… that he was worth it.
He went to his house.
6 ZACCHAEUS QUICKLY CLIMBED DOWN AND TOOK JESUS TO HIS HOUSE IN GREAT EXCITEMENT AND JOY.
He had felt something he hadn’t felt in a long time… He felt noticed, he felt cared for, he felt valued… he felt seen.
I love that Jesus went to his house. He went into HIS world. He didn’t have Zaccheaus come to his world. He didn't invite him to grab some bread at the temple.
When we spend time with someone in THEIR world not only do we grow in our understanding of them but we show them that they matter.
I am not saying we shouldn’t invite people into our world… into church… to things like this… OF COURSE WE SHOULD….
But if that is ALL we do, we are communicating something… something that we may not want to communicate.
If all we ever do is have people come to us, THEY ARE THE MISSIONARIES, we are called to intentionally go to them and help them see Jesus and bring them into the church.
Jesus went.
It didn’t matter to Jesus that Zaccheus was known as a NOTORIOUS SINNER, Jesus went anyway. He didn’t approve of what He had done but He didn’t let it stop him from loving Him and being intentional.
He showed Zaccheus with his intentionality that he was still worth being loved.
Jesus didn’t go party with him… he didn’t go steal money with him… he went and ate with Him… He talked to Him. He looked at him and built a relationship.
Not everyone understood, but that's okay. He pursued Zaccheus in a holy way to love him & show him that there was a better way.
Jesus showed Him that he didn’t have to be this way. There was hope for Him. There was forgiveness. There was life change. .. and that it was all found in HIM… Jesus.
Zaccheaus turned to Jesus and repented of His sin. He looked to him for forgiveness and Jesus did not hold back and WOW did it change Zaccheus’ life forever!
Never forget, God never wastes our intentionality with people.
Jesus called Him by name.
Jesus knew how he felt and what he needed.
Jesus went to him.
Jesus didn’t let His sin keep Him from loving him.
Jesus showed him that life with God is so much better.
That morning, Zaccheus left home alone.
That afternoon, Zaccheus returned home with a friend.
That morning, he went to get a glimpse of Jesus.
That afternoon, His entire life was changing because of Jesus.
And that was ALL because Jesus was INTENTIONAL.
Intentionality is at the core of who Jesus is & who we are at CPC but it should also be a core of who we are in our day to day life as we desire to take everyone we meet another step closer to being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Discussion:
How can you increase our intentionality?
Who does God want you to be intentional with in your world?
By: Nick Parsons
3 Comments
So good, Nick! Makes me think about the upcoming Woodhill event. God help us to have loving intentionality as we meet them where there are.
Yes! Such an amazing opportunity that we have!
Thanks Nick! You got me fired up to live with intentionality!