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I know it’s been ages but allow me to wish you all a Happy New Year! I hope it is turning out to be exactly what you hoped it would be and if it is not, I pray that God would make it better for you. I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ!

In the previous year, I listened to a sermon series from Social Dallas that caught my attention! It was titled, “They Are Us.” In it the preacher, Pastor Robert Madu explores bible characters that not only have names ending with “us” but characters he believes are relatable. These include; Lazarus whose sermon was unspoken (he said no words), Nicodemus who knew too much and tried too hard but failed to see the big picture, Zacchaeus the insecure one and finally Jesus, the “unseen Savior”.

Today’s blog will explore the character of Zacchaeus and his story from Luke 19: 1-10. In the scripture, Zacchaeus is described as a short, rich, tax colletor-hated by the Jews, with a persistent and curious character. Pastor Madu adds that Zacchaeus was a manipulator, he was shady, a betrayer, an oppressor, and a sell-out. However, despite his pride from all that he had accomplished, he must have lived a lonely and sad life that created a void in him.

According to Pastor Madu, we all have some area in our lives that makes us feel small, insecure, unsure of ourselves, inadequate, insufficient and that although many of us try to hide it in our public life, it always comes out privately. For instance, he says that you can be successful, very important and highly respected at your workplace, and yet feel small or inadequate in your own home where your mask comes off, since your family sees the real you that the world does not see. He calls this being a “public success but a private failure.” We try to put on a brave face out there in the world and conceal all our brockeness, for instance on social media, but deep down we know who and what we really are.

To answer the question, “what do you do when you feel small?” pastor Madu encourages us by reminding us that it is our brockeness that draws us to Jesus. So much that He wants to embrace those parts of us because of his grace. Therefore, we do not have to live a life of pretence, pride-“I am somebody” because nomatter how much great we think we are, there will always be someone greater than us that makes us feel small. Moreover, Jesus, in Luke 18, proves to us that pride blocks us from his kingdom. That is why we need to intentionally be humble regardless of how high or great we think we are in life.

Pastor Madu illustrates that if Zacchaeus’s story teaches us anything, it is that “we can all seek Jesus nomatter where you have been.” We may struggle with who we are and the choices we have made that have led us to where we are in life but we need to always remember that Jesus’s grace is sufficient. Similarly, we need to extend this grace to others who are struggling where they are because we do not know their hearts. Also because the are us, we all go through it! Many are seeking Jesus privately, where they are and he will notice them and come into their lives to change them. Do not block them! According to pastor Madu, Jesus sees who we were created to be and not who we became.

Zacchaeus knew how much of a sinner he was but that didn’t stop him from seeking after Jesus. He had probably heard of the grace Jesus showed to other sinners and how merciful he was so his curiosity drove him to climb a tree to see the one he had heard of, the Savior. This challenges us not to use our shortcomings as an excuse. Zacchaeus-just like blind Bathemous-did not let the crowd deter his access to Jesus, he was determined to see him. Because of who he was on the outside and the poor choices he had made, the so called followers of Jesus (christians) tried to block him from accessing the Savior. This is sadly still happening in churches worldwide. Pastor Madu calls this “the crowd” which he believes we all encounter. The people that block our view of Jesus, those that donot understand grace, the voices that tell us we are not worthy of His love. I will call them the SELF-APPOINTED GATEKEEPERS OF HEAVEN.

If you have ever been made to feel like you are not worthy of grace or mercy, that your mistakes are unforgivable and that your tattoos or clothes or piercings are not acceptable in the Christian community, you need to be like Zacchaeus and Bathemous and do all that it takes to push through those voices, those ridicules, the stares and do all it takes to get Jesus’s attention. Shout if you need to, or climb a tree if you want to. Infact, pastor Madu notices that such behavior is childlike, something Jesus asked us to be. He explains that children would do anything to get your attention to get what they want because they have no pride! So be determined! He asks us not to let crowds be an excuse. Do whatever it takes!

He further points to the fact that Jesus the Savior of the world stopped and noticed Zacchaeus amongst all the people in the crowd! The one who no one liked! Jesus sought him out of the many because he knew his heart. He knew that deep down Zacchaeus was in need of a savior. This indicates that the people in our lives that are in the wrong season just need someone to believe in them and to show them mercy and grace. Only this will lead them to repentance. This challenges us to look at them the way Jesus looked up at Zacchaeus, not down on him like everyone else did.

Zacchaeus, whose name means pure and righteous, had been baptized by his parents who believed he was something great but along the way, he took a wrong turn and made some poor decisions that led him to becoming a tax collector. What did Jesus do when he met him? According to pastor Madu, “Jesus doesn’t call him by what he became, he calls his name.” This is encouraging because it shows that He does not judge me by my past mistakes, or by the standards of this world, he judges my heart. If you are deeply seeking after his love-not with your outward pretence- and want change in your life and are willing to allow him to help you be who he created you to be, God will judge you by that. His love will lead you to repentance.

Its amazing to know that Jesus knew how Zacchaeus was struggling through a crowd that hated him, how he stooped so low as to accept the ridicule from them and humbled himself to the point of climbing a tree, despite his status in society. Jesus knew all this was happening before he even approached that tree. He sees our efforts! No matter where you are in life, or how damaged you think you are, do not let the broken parts of you hinder your progress towards Jesus, keep walking towards him and remember that he is watching your every move. He will step into your life just when you need him the most. Therefore, don’t hide those broken parts of you, nothing can be hidden from the Lord. You need to acknowledge them and stop pretending that everything is perfect in your life. Put aside your pride and accept that you need the Savior to come and change your heart. Always be determined to push passed the self-appointed gatekeepers.

Lord, I thank you that your grace is always sufficient for us and that you came into this world not for the perfect or righteous ones but for us sinners. Help us to accept the parts of ourselves that we are trying to hide from the world, may we be willing to allow you into our lives to change and transform us. Lord we offer you those broken pieces of our lives, come put them together and make us whole. Amen!

With love and prayers,

Resty Kansiime

Here is a link to today’s sermon