30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
LUKE 19 1-10 SEEKING TO SAVE THE LOST 16 Being the salt and the light
📖 Luke 19:1-10
30Nov2020 - *Being the salt and the light* - _Luke 19:1-10_ - SEEKING TO SAVE THE LOST 16 – Bible reading: _Leviticus 6:1-6_
_Luke 19:8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."_
Zacchaeus was coming under the lordship of Christ. He had confessed and surrendered the first issue that was uppermost in his heart. This was the aspect of giving and caring for the poor, whom he was supposed to serve, as the chief tax collector.
He now began addressing the second issue that needed to be surrendered to the lordship of Christ.
His second problem emerged as a consequence of his failure in the first. He had not cared for people. He had taken people for granted and was not dealing with people with concern and in truth. He had been careless and had been walking over them. These were the people, who were in his responsibility to look after, but he had taken advantage of them.
He says, _“if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
Why did Zacchaeus say, _“If I have taken…”_? Was he not sure if he had taken anything from anyone by false accusation?
His failure in the first area of not being concerned for the poor and his inconsiderate attitude towards the poor had clouded his sense of what was right and what was wrong.
Zacchaeus was living in the grey area of decision making. His attention to righteousness had become blurred and this was caused because of his lack of love for the poor.
Zacchaeus knew the scripture and the standards of God. _Exodus 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour._ (false accusation)
_Leviticus 6:1-6 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) "If a person sins and commits a trespass against the LORD by lying to his neighbour about what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or about a pledge, or about a robbery, or if he has extorted from his neighbour, (3) or if he has found what was lost and lies concerning it, and swears falsely—in any one of these things that a man may do in which he sins:
_(4) then it shall be, because he has sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore what he has stolen, or the thing which he has extorted, or what was delivered to him for safekeeping, or the lost thing which he found,_
_(5) or all that about which he has sworn falsely. He shall restore its full value, add one-fifth more to it, and give it to whomever it belongs, on the day of his trespass offering. (6) And he shall bring his trespass offering to the LORD, a ram without blemish from the flock, with your valuation, as a trespass offering, to the priest._
The order was that before a person came and presented his offering to the Lord, that person must first go and make restitution with the person with whom he has dealt falsely and then come and give his offerings to the Lord.
Zacchaeus was keenly aware of this sequence. He was coming under the lordship of Christ. To do so he was aware that he needed to first restitute, before surrendering to the lordship of Christ over his life.
This is yet another matter, where we make an error. When we lead people to Christ, we tell them, “Come to Jesus, just as you are and believe in Him”. This is right in a general sense, but coming to Jesus is coming under the lordship of Jesus.
When a person comes to Christ, that person is coming into the habitat of God, into the kingdom rule of God, where God rules and he or she now needs to be a subject under the authority of God.
This would require that person to surrender, specifically, those areas of his life in which he has been rebelling against God, by confessing, seeking God’s forgiveness, surrendering to the Lord and asking the Lord to reveal other areas of rebellion in his life.
If we do not take people through this painful but crucial process in being born into the kingdom of God, we have short-circuited the process, which has distressing consequences.
Why is there corruption in our societies? When we are not concerned for people and have not shown care for the needs of people, then we begin to take people for granted. The dealings and transactions that we have with people are not out of respect and honour but from carelessness and by stamping over people.
Zacchaeus, in repenting and restituting was also now establishing himself to be a man of righteousness and justice. We are to be the salt and light of our society. Salt which has lost it savour is of no use to anyone.
May we, the church, be the salt and light of our societies by repenting and seeking to love and care the people around us and ensure that each of our transactions and dealings with people is out of respect, honour, truth, righteousness and justice.
All of these are the manifestations of life in the habitat/kingdom of God.
*Thought to ponder*
```Lordship to Christ is manifested in our everyday dealings with people.```