Devotion
Changes of Heart … and Action!
Luke 19:1-10 tells how Jesus entered Jericho accompanied by crowds of well-wishes. The rich tax collector Zacchaeus was there, and he too wanted to get a look at this famous new spiritual leader. However, he was too short to see over the crowds of people. Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore-fig tree where he was sure to see Jesus as he went by.
When Jesus reached the tree, he looked up and called out to Zacchaeus by name asking him to join him. Jesus told Zacchaeus that he would stay at his house that night. The crowd was not pleased and began to talk among themselves saying that Jesus would be staying at the house of a sinner. Zacchaeus was rich, collected taxes for the occupying Romans, and probably over-collected on occasion. For this reason, the people of Jericho disliked him and considered him a sinner.
Zacchaeus then stood before Jesus and offered half his possessions as a gift to the poor and to compensate anyone he had cheated by four times the amount of money. Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house as this man too is a son of Abraham.”
The story teaches several lessons. We see Zacchaeus going to great lengths to see Jesus, even climbing a tree which was rather undignified for the short government official. Jesus sees Zacchaeus’ interest in the emissary of God. The story is another example of Jesus reaching out to a sinner and offering salvation.
In Despicable Me, Gru also has a change of heart, the three girls Edith, Margo and Agnes come into his life, and they change and soften his heart. Because of this change of heart, just like Zacchaeus his actions changed.
I wonder if either Gru or Zacchaeus knew that their heart needed changing… but I know that there are times when my heart needs to change… Daily I ask Jesus to change my heart to be more like him. Daily I seek the Holy Spirits wisdom so that I can live out God’s will in my life.
Psalm 51 says;
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Have you asked Jesus to change your heart? It is easy, Jesus come into my heart, change it so that I can become more like you!
Blessings
Evie
Save the Date!
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We will be having a fundraising evening for a Kenyan church and school here at Good Shepherd Church on November 8th. Look forward to sharing more information next week!
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Sunday Service Times
2024 Worship Song Playlist
Do you find yourself wondering what songs we sing in Wednesday Worship? Do your children come home singing some of the songs? We would like to invite you to our Good Shepherd School Worship Song Playlist on YouTube. To find a selection of songs that we sing, click here and start singing along!