He Knew His Name

I really love this story in Luke about the sinner and tax collector, Zacchaeus.

"He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.' So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, 'He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.' And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, 'Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'"

Luke 19:1-10

This story tells us of a man who had many names or labels given to him. But when he heard Jesus was coming, he rushed ahead of everyone to see Him. He was a short guy, so he had to climb a tree just to get a look. When Jesus came, He looked up, saw him, called him by name, and told him He was staying at his house.

What's so interesting to me is that Jesus knew who he was, just like He knows who we are. He doesn't know us by the labels others have given us. He knows us by who we really are. Just as Jesus knew Zacchaeus, though widely considered a cheat, sinner, and tax collector, He knew his heart was pure and ready to be redeemed. Everything changed for Zacchaeus the day he saw Jesus, just as everything changes for us when we see Jesus.

What's my point in sharing this story? It's simple. I've talked about being who God wants us to be, not what others expect us to be. To be that person, we need to be able to see and know Jesus. He's what matters in the end.

The beauty of it all is, Jesus already knows us. He's got an open invitation for us, and others, to know Him too. Once you get to know Jesus, you can begin to find that person you've been searching for within.

You are uniquely made in His image. You are perfect in His eyes. You are loved, and most importantly, you are forgiven.

Have a great weekend.

Be Nice. Grace Wins.

FMJ