Though Zacchaeus came with baggage, Jesus’ decision to love anyway completely changed Zacchaeus’ life for the better.Â
When we love God with all of our hearts, we will have the capacity to love people wholeheartedly and live out the exciting destiny God has for each of us.
Jesus loved the rich young ruler enough to offer him a way out of rule-following by asking him to make a decision to be close to him.
This parable will help us understand what it feels like to be lost and how God responds to that feeling by always trying to bring us home.Â
With insecurity, God never responds with criticism. He responds with a purpose to live for something beyond themselves.
It is easy to try to rely on something as tangible as money for security. What are times in your life when you have faced guilt or regret, and relied on wealth or money, rather than turning to God for forgiveness?
Once our faith in God is strong, it becomes easy to overcome the temptation to be cynical in human relationships.