Positioned for Salvation & Peonies

“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.” (Luke 19:5)

Jesus was just passing through Jericho when the chief taxcollector, a rich man, heard the news and came out to seek Jesus. Zacchaeus was curious about who this Jesus was. But, a large crowd prevented his reaching Jesus. He could not see Jesus, because Zacchaeus was a short man. But rather than giving up the idea of finding Jesus on the overcrowded streets, and giving in to his challenged stature, Zacchaeus demonstrated huge determination. He ran ahead of the crowd and climbed into a Sycamore tree, knowing he would at least get a glimpse of Jesus. When, to his surprise, Jesus came to him in the tree and asked to be his guest for the day, Zacchaeus was overjoyed and welcomed Jesus into his home. Instead of just a glimpse, Jesus came into his house and stayed for dinner.

This story speaks to me of how people become positioned for salvation and how we approach presenting them with the Gospel. It seems to me, people go through a process similar to Zacchaeus:

• First, a person hears about Jesus. (Luke 10:2/Romans 10:14-15)
• Second, they become curious enough to want to see about Him for themselves. (John3/Matthew 7:7-8/Isaiah 55:6-7)
• Third, they have enough determination to pursue Jesus, overcoming external obstacles and internal challenges. (Luke 9:23-25/Matt 13:44-46)
• Finally, when Jesus comes knocking, they invite Him in—and not just to pass through, but to stay for supper. (Rev. 3:20/Rom 10:9-10)

Like Jesus with Zacchaeus, we may be able to recognize where people are positioned for salvation, and meet them with the good news. I think by His example of seeking Zacchaeus, Jesus proved He was not a five-point Calvinist. Jesus continually engaged people and even sent the disciples out to preach before His death and resurrection. Jesus talked about the harvest for the kingdom being plentiful, while the laborers were few. He encouraged His disciples to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers and His final words gave the command; "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matt 28:19-20). Jesus issued The Great Commission because He wanted us, believers, to share with others the good news of God's salvation--John 3:16-17/Romans 10:9-10.

The critics chided Jesus, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. Perhaps the Pharisees felt slighted by Jesus. They were the self-righteous, meticulous observers of the law, and perhaps they felt deserving of Jesus' attention—a renowned, up and coming Rabbi—more so than the common sinner had a right to feel. After spending some time with Jesus in his home, Zacchaeus stood up and proclaimed his transformation, “Behold, Lord...” (Luke 19:8). I purposely left out the rest of verse eight. You know what it says—Zacchaeus gave half his goods to the poor and promised to restore fourfold to anyone he had defrauded.

Tax collectors were notorious for cheating the Jewish people in the name of Caesar and to line their own pockets. Certainly, Zacchaeus did a good thing in repenting from his crimes and making restoration, but his true transformation is revealed in those two words—"Behold, Lord." With those words, Zacchaeus did the greatest thing--he presented himself to Jesus. He acknowledged Jesus as Lord of his life—instead of money, Caesar or even himself. Jesus validated Zacchaeus’ transformation with a response, also aimed at His grumbling critics, “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 19:10)

When we seek Jesus, He comes to find us--no matter how lost we are. When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord, not only does salvation come to our house, all the important pieces of our lives fall into place.

• We view life from a changed perspective—our point of view changes to God's POV and people are suddenly more important than money or things.
• We gain renewed purpose for living—our lives are lived for God, and eternity rules our choices; actions point us to service rather than self-indulgence.
• We gain position in a new family—we are children of God, heirs with Christ and need never again feel diminished or demoralized by the world's view of us--God loves us first, foremost and forever. This confidence lifts us above all criticism and condemnation.

When we surrender our lives to Jesus, and give Him permission to become LORD, change happens. Sometimes, quickly; other times change comes slowly. As we continue in relationship with Jesus, the transformation goes on to bloom and grow year after year.

I used to keep peonies in my garden. Each spring I would be looking for the chutes in the ground signaling the plants were still alive. As the months progressed the stems would grow taller and covered with green leaves. Soon, round buds would appear. I would water and pray for sun each day. In time, the buds would grow from blueberry to golf ball size. More time would pass and at last the small petals would crack their shell and poke through. On a particular morning, I would wake to find the flower unwound into full splendor.

When in bloom, my peonies were spectacular; I enjoyed them everyday, and I photographed them in excess. I hardly picked them because it seemed too cruel since the flowers only bloomed a few short weeks. When the flowers were spent, only the green plant remained throughout the summer. In late fall, I cut the plants down without mercy. In winter I buried them, and they remained covered in the dark earth until the following spring when the cycle, which brought me such joy, started all over again.

I have been a Christian for forty years, and to this day, I still wish I were a better one! Like Zacchaeus, there was a time when I sought Jesus and HE found me. I presented myself to Jesus and His salvation came; I positioned myself to know Jesus by reading the Bible, praying and being part of a healthy church, and my transformation began. I have gone through cold seasons of darkness in my spiritual walk, times of personal pruning, and days of sunshine and splendor. It seems the growth cycles, like the peonies, repeat themselves. I may feel buried for a season, but I always seem to emerge into the light. Sometimes, I don’t think these cycles have much to do with me, rather they are common to the garden I am part of—life on earth. I think my Grower certainly takes care of me. He feeds, waters, prunes when I need it and covers me with the shadow of His presence for a time of renewal. My prayer is, I never stop seeking Him; I remain in a position to experience the benefits of His salvation, and He feels joy at my growth process while I am going on to full bloom.