Monday, April 22, 2024 - LITTLE MAN, BIG FAITH

"I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." (Luther's Morning Prayer)

Monday, April 22, 2024 - Day 113 (Through the Bible in a year readings for today: 2 Samuel 7-9; Luke 19:1-28)

 

LITTLE MAN, BIG FAITH 

Zacchaeus... 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.”... 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 19:2-10 ESV)

The religious leaders thought little of Zacchaeus, and they weren’t just talking about his height. They saw him as a lost soul, someone to be shunned. Jesus also saw Zacchaeus as a sinner, but not as someone to be shunned.

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

This is good news for us, for we also come up short when it comes to living the perfect life God requires of all. The good news for Zacchaeus was that Jesus invited him into His presence. And that is really big!

Lord Jesus, thank You for also inviting me into Your presence. Please grant me a hunger for Your Word and for Your Supper that drives me to Your house each Sunday. Amen.

Pastor David Paape

Daily Bible Reading Chart covering the entire Bible in one year. 

http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf