Today's Devotional

October 31, 2002

Subject:  Been Seen With Jesus Lately? 

Luke 19:7 - "And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner."

Have you been seen with Jesus lately?  If you've had a tremendous enough desire to "climb a tree" to see Him, and then if you obeyed His every command, then it's quite likely that you have been.  Perhaps you didn't notice because your focus was on Him as you walked and talked as He was inviting Himself to be your guest.  This is what happens when we submit to Christ, but the result of seeking and obeying Him, is an effect on people.

When the people saw Jesus going home with Zacchaeus, they began the "behind-the-back" murmuring that so often goes on in and out of your church circle when your are following Christ, and for much the same reasons as in this case.  One of the reasons for the murmuring was the lack of understanding of the mission of Christ.  Later in that passage, He says, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."  Surely they must've thought that you had to be "someone special" to have Christ at your house.

That leads to the second issue of jealousy mingled with pride.  Why if Christ can go have dinner with that sinner, He could have dinner with me, could perhaps be the thought.  And they are correct, but it takes desire and obedience first and then as is written in Rev 3:20 "...if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

Today, if you hear the murmuring of theirs, it could be that you have been seen with Jesus.  Simply keep obeying and "climbing those trees" and Christ will forever be a guest in your house.

Carlen