Crack Open The Door
August 2, 2022
Somewhere in my late teens and twenties, I started to think that in order to approach Jesus, in order to be good enough to go to church, or in order to be accepted by God, I had to first clean up my act. Have you ever thought that, too? We think we are not worthy to approach God until we have made ourselves perfect. However, this is not how Jesus approached people when He walked the earth. The account of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 illustrates how Jesus thought:
1 Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He tried to see who Jesus was, but was not able from the crowd, because he was little in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the vicinity, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must remain at your house.” 6 So he hurried and came down, and received Him joyfully.
7 When they saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I will repay him four times as much.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (MEV)
Zacchaeus did not set out to repent that day. He just wanted to get a look at Jesus, a guy he heard so much about. Look how Jesus interacted with Zacchaeus. He observed that Zacchaeus was interested enough to climb a tree to see Him. That is all the opening Jesus needed. Jesus reached out to Zacchaeus, who others called a sinner, and invited Himself over to his house. And look how Zacchaeus responded. He received Jesus joyfully because Jesus reached out to him. Jesus did not reject him as a sinner like everyone else. Jesus looked at him as someone who was lost and needed finding.
It was Jesus’ attitude toward Zacchaeus that resulted in Zacchaeus repenting. Jesus was not drawn to Zacchaeus because Zacchaeus repented. He was drawn to Zacchaeus because that is who Jesus is and what He does. He seeks and saves the lost. That was His attitude then and it is still His attitude today. You do not have to be clean and sin-free to seek Jesus. If you give Jesus an opening, He will reach out to you and He will HELP you get clean and sin-free.
We think we have to become perfect or stay perfect to merit a relationship with Jesus, but that is not God’s way. All I had to do was crack open the door of my heart to Him and He came rushing back into my life. He will do the same for you. Welcome Him to your house (into your heart) today, no matter what you have done. If you are moved to repentance in that moment, great! But, Jesus is reaching out to you right now! In your current state! He is seeking imperfect people, like you and me, who will just crack open the door to Him.
Jesus, I have done things that are not right. You know it already, so I can’t hide it from You. But You said that You came to Earth to seek and save the lost. I am lost right now, but I want to be found. Come into my heart today and help me. Heal me. Forgive me. Pour out Your love on me right here and right now. Thank you, Jesus! Amen.