Seek out and Save - November 25
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:145-176; PM Psalm 128, 129, 130, Zech. 12:1-10; Eph. 1:3-14; Luke 19:1-10
I know the story of Zaccheus so well. I have heard it for most of my life. And today, a new line stuck out – it was one of those summary statements that ties a bow on actions and messages laid out previously. Zaccheus has his moment of public repentance; he pledges to give away half of his possessions to those in need – for he has obtained them through ill-gotten gains - and promises to repay those from whom he had wrongly charged for his own benefit, and for the benefit of the Roman overlords in power. Jesus accepts his contrite heart and proclaims a type of absolution: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.” Lovely, right? This moment of conversion and reconnection is moving.
Then Jesus says this: “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” When I read these words, they are so obvious, and yet bring me to a space of gratitude and compassion. I think about Jesus searching for each of us in our times of being covered up in pain. Covered up in fear. Covered up in anger. Covered up in self-righteousness. Covered up in loneliness. I feel a sense of relief and comfort re-hearing this message from Luke’s gospel: Jesus came not just to find us in those places of sin and vulnerability, but to also save us from that brokenness and to reconnect us to our heritage as children of God’s promise. Jesus came to restore our sense of belonging, not to the systems and sinfulness of human construction, but to the grace and wonder of God’s whole creation.
Yesterday I saw a video of Abigail and Sean Bengson, musicians currently living in Dayton, Ohio, though they call Louisville, Kentucky their home. They recorded a piece called “The Keep Going Song”. As he plays the guitar and she sings, they express the goal of helping listeners feel a little less alone in our loss and isolation. She asks “Are you alright, are you okay? Are you alright, are you okay?” in a way that invites listeners to be vulnerable and unearth our big feelings that we tend to cover up to cope. In an interview, Abigail and Sean shared that their work melding chaos and inspiration into the beautiful product of music comes from a prayerful place – not to solve problems neatly, but to move into a space of transformation.
As you enter this holiday weekend, whether you are alone or with others, I pray that you hold on to memories of better times, and see the blessings that God is placing around you right now. Hold fast to the truth: Jesus came to seek out and to save the lost. Let us pray for one another – and all who feel lost. Let us pray that each of us may catch a glimpse of God’s grace and wonder. And when we do, we’ll feel a little less alone and we’ll be together.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
What brokenness covers you up right now? When have you felt a sense of restoration after facing a time of brokenness and pain?
Who do you pray for, and who prays for you?
Daily Challenge
As you pray the Confession of Sin today, think about the witness of Zaccheus and how Jesus welcomed him. Think about what turning your heart over fully to God looks like, and try it.