A heart changed

These are the responses from two wealthy men as they encounter Jesus in their city. Both had eagerly approached Jesus along the way. Zacchaeus was a ‘wee’ man in stature and had to climb up in a tree to get a view of Jesus. Jesus looked at him and asked him to come down and had dinner with him. This encounter led the Pharisees to scorn Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. But you can tell from the verse in Luke that this man’s heart had been changed, dramatically. He, of course, had cheated people on many occasions, but he was now a repentant man.

An unwilling man

The rich, young ruler is not given a name in Scripture. But he came running to Jesus and fell on his knees and asked Jesus what he needed to do for him to be saved. The key word here is-do. Jesus looked at him and told him to obey certain tenets of the Ten Commandments, to which the man happily stated that he had fulfilled all of them. Then Jesus reminded him of one other thing he needed to do. Jesus knew his heart, and he needed to sell all his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow him. You can see his response as he walked away. He ran to Jesus expectantly, and he walked away dejected.

Both were wealthy men. They heard the same message from Jesus. Their responses were entirely different. Jesus knows each of our hearts, and what is dwelling there that keeps us from being a true follower and an ‘all in’ disciple. Let’s soberly examine ours!