Reservations.

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

After Jesus invites Himself to dinner at the home of the tax collector Zacchaeus, the man makes two promises to Him: first, to care for the poor; and second, to make restitution to the households from which Zacchaeus had wrongfully taken assets.

It is perhaps appropriate that ethnomusicologist Jo Ann Richards used this verse in one of her folk song compositions. Like Zacchaeus, the music industry has a history of pulling artistic resources from the poor and marginalized. And, also like Zacchaeus, the industry has many persons who, though well off financially, are lost spiritually and relationally.

The response of the Lord Jesus is not to ignore sinners, but to call them to repentance. The criticism of the crowd, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner” (see Luke 19:7), did not deter Jesus from being a transformative influence in the life of Zacchaeus.

Is there an unsaved person in your circle of influence who “wants to see who Jesus is” (see Luke 19:3)? If God has opened the door, I encourage you to ignore the crowd's criticisms. Seek to bring deliverance to those who, though rich by the world's standards, have recognized that they are spiritually impoverished. They, like us, need to be saved.

Would you be like Jesus? Then seek and save the lost.

Dark, indeed, the past has been, Nothing but thy blood can save me;
Yet in mercy take me in, Nothing but thy blood can save me.
No! No! Nothing do I bring,
But by faith I’m clinging to thy cross, O Lamb of God!
Nothing but thy blood can save me. (Richard Slater)