Acceptance

I read the story of Zaccheus a few days ago in Luke, and It hit me in a way it hadn't before.  I felt convicted.  It wasn't that he was a "wee little man", or that he climbed up into a tree, and was persistent in his quest to see and hear Jesus.  It was the way Jesus responded to him.  With warmth and acceptance.  Now, sure, I'm not gonna invite myself over to stranger's houses whenever I feel like it, like Jesus did, but I want to reach out the way he did.  There was no pretense, or judgement on the part of Jesus.  He saw a man that wanted to be good again, despite the wrong he had done, and Jesus responded with compassion.  Jesus was attracted to honesty & humility, to people that had a blind hope that maybe, just maybe, Jesus would help them.  

I guess what I'm getting at, is that the example of Jesus in this situation is not to simply ignore and shun Zaccheus for who he was or the shady reputation he held, but rather to reach out to him with openness and warmth.  I want to be more like Jesus.  I want to recognize hopefulness in a person that feels hopeless.  The example of Jesus is that we should ignore societal barriers, and class, and reach out to others.  This might mean going against what's comfortable.  For Jesus this meant entering Zaccheus' home, eating with him, and experiencing community with him.  Jesus never condoned sin, but he loved others deeply.  That was more important to him than whether or not the company he kept seemed appropriate or acceptable to others.  

I've grown up believing that it is okay to avoid people who aren't like me, or don't have the appearance of being put together.  The older I get, the more this paradigm is crumbling.  I guess I'm learning and realizing that we are all the same.  We all want truth, acceptance, and love, and something to hope for.  My prayer is that I will see others as my brothers and sisters first, and not as outsiders.  I believe that this is how Jesus saw others.  He was drawn in by the humility and brokenness of others,  no matter who they were.   - Jon.