Sheep happens.

Friday, March 03, 2006

identity

I read my daily devotions just a few moments ago and something dawned upon me,

the importance of the recovery of your identity.

Luke 19:1-10
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich.
3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was of small stature.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today."
6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."
8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, " Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."
9 And Jesus said to him, " Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho. Tax collectors of the time usually collaborated with the Roman authorities, and were often guilty of abuses. People despised them, especially Zacchaeus, as he was the chief tax collector. The synagogue disapproved of him, and the people shunned him.

The people of Jericho must have been wondering, why would this holy man want to sojourn in the dwellings of a sinner? They even brought Jesus' status and identity into question when He expressed His intentions to stay at Zacchaeus' house.

I wonder, what a life Zacchaeus led! No amount of money and power could compensate for the lack of acceptance shown by the Jewish community, his own people. It must have hurt deeply to see people abstain from him.

Zacchaeus' identity among the people was that of a sinner, a prevaricator, a charlatan. How was he to recover his true identity? Pretty obviously, the answer to the question is Jesus.

By inviting Himself to Zacchaeus' home, Jesus sought to re-establish Zacchaeus' identity. Zacchaeus, by welcoming Jesus to his home, not only saw the true identity of Jesus. Zacchaeus also experienced Jesus as the Lord and Saviour, the one who could restore his dignity as a true son of Abraham.

Have we, like Zacchaeus, discovered our identity as children of God? Or are we like the Jewish people, shunning and outcasting those who are trying to come to Jesus? Do we exclude anyone from our fellowship?

We are all sinners, and we all would surely have lost our identities as children of God. Face the truth about ourselves and seek acquittal, let the power and radiance of Jesus work in us, so that we may live in conformity with His will. So that Jesus may restore our dignity, and most importantly, our identity.

Wish everyone a fruitful Lent. Make good use of this time to rediscover the true meaning of our Christian faith, and surely our rewards will be due in time to come.

Hang in there

I almost forgot, congratulations to Noel house for emerging victorious in the Cross-Country Meet. My, my. First time in twenty years! Well done. At least Joseph house is in the top 3 =)