Scripture to Read: Luke 19:7
Anytime Jesus chose to minister to the so-called “sinners” of His day, there were always some in the crowd who had negative opinions to share—that is what we read in Luke 19:7, “When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.’” The sad part of this encounter is that those in the crowd, especially the onlookers who saw Jesus go to Zaccheus’ house, totally missed who Jesus was and only complained that Jesus was staying with a sinner. As we already learned, Zaccheus was a chief tax collector, so he was pretty much hated by almost everyone in the crowd, but not by Jesus. Jesus came to “seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Those in the crowd had no clue they were sinners, just like Zaccheus; their only focus was on their hatred for Zaccheus. Everyone on the face of the earth is a sinner, and though we may fall into the trap of categorizing our sins or comparing our sins to others, in God’s eyes, one sin, no matter how small, still separates us from Him. Everyone needs a relationship with Christ, and He loves it when one lost sinner is willing to repent (turn away) from their sin, confess their need for Him, and then walk in full obedience to Him each day of their lives. For all who have made that decision, there’s still a need for daily repentance and confession to have incredible fellowship with our Lord daily.
Challenge & Application
What was the problem with many in the crowd?
How can you guard your heart from becoming a grumbler and instead rejoice when anyone gets saved?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!