July 24 - If These Were Silent

Luke 19:29-40

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40 ESV)

What if you didn't worship God? According to Jesus, in the absence of worshippers, the rocks would take up the cry to declare the glorious mighty deeds of God. But maybe he said that because they already do.

Do I believe that God could cause the stones to literally develop singing voices and begin to join together in melodic praise? Yes. But I don't think Jesus was referring to that. In both the Psalms and in some of the Apostle Paul's writings we can read references to creation itself praising God. Why?

I believe that creation itself was an act of worship. God made everything, and in its existence alone it worships him. No, not with song, but by being what it was made for.

You see, worship isn't a melody, a tune, or a predetermined allotment of time in a church service. Worship is our response to God. It is our recognition of Him as creator. It is our existence striving to achieve its fullest potential. That's part of what makes forgiveness and repentance so special. They are both acts that undermine the sinful human condition and push us back into right standing with the Father, which of course is the only place where we may actually realize our fullest potential.

July 14 - He Received Jesus

Luke 19:1-10

So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. (Luke 19:6 ESV)

Zacchaeus was a tax collector, a man of small size, and disliked by his countrymen. He was a swindler. However, when he heard that Jesus was to be coming through Jericho he very much longed to see him, and positioned himself in a tree. He probably never thought, as he climbed the tree, that he was positioning himself for total life transformation.

Jesus called to the short tax man to come down from the tree and be his host. And Zacchaeus was thrilled to do it. It brought him joy.

The story of Zacchaeus paints a great picture of significance in our own lives. He was a sinner. It was publicly known. He willfully and joyfully received Jesus—first into his home, and then into his life. It brought about a drastic change in Zacchaeus' life. He gave back the stuff he stole and extorted. He became an honest man. He became a follower of Christ.

There are three things Zacchaeus did that we should take note of; he sought the truth about Jesus, he welcomed an experience with Jesus, and he followed the truth of the experience through to a different life. He didn't climb up in a tree because he was found of branches. No, he wanted to see the truth about Jesus for himself. When he encountered Christ he didn't recoil in either fear or religious disdain, he wanted to experience the nature of The Lord. When the divinity of Christ became apparent he allowed that revelation to initiate total life transformation. Zacchaeus saw, experienced, and transformed but it was all because he was willing to receive Jesus. Are you?