But when the people saw it, they all complained, saying,
"He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
Luke 19:7 NKJV
Earlier today, I was reading one of my favorite Bible stories (Luke 19:1-10)...
"He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."
Luke 19:7 NKJV
Earlier today, I was reading one of my favorite Bible stories (Luke 19:1-10)...
Zacchaeus was a wealthy but corrupt tax collector. The Lord Jesus, when He met Zacchaeus for the first time, told him that He wanted to stay at the tax collector's house for the day. However, when the citizens of the community saw this and heard the exchange of words between Jesus and Zacchaeus, they all began to murmur. They voiced strong displeasure that the Lord would want to be the guest of a notorious "sinner."
But Jesus, observing the anger and self-righteousness of the crowd, immediately defended His decision by saying that Zacchaeus, too, was a "child of Abraham (a fellow Jew)" who needed forgiveness just like everyone else.
What a wonderful story of hope this is for a population of prisoners. Zacchaeus was a swindler and extortioner. He was also held in contempt by his neighbors. Yet when Jesus came on the scene He wanted to fellowship with Zacchaeus, and offer him forgiveness, too.
And the Lord was in no way condoning Zacchaeus' life of crime and corruption. But Jesus knew this "sinner" needed a touch of mercy, not judgment. And it turned out well because Zacchaeus, in his contrition, offered to pay back four times the amount he had swindled, plus half of the goods he already possessed, Zacchaeus offered to give the poor.
So when people ask me, as they often do, if God will forgive a person if he has committed a crime, my answer is always, "Yes!" The Lord can forgive anyone if he is willing to turn from his sins and place his trust in Christ. After all, according to the Bible, Jesus came into the world to save "sinners." And where else could He find such a high concentration of transgressors and lawbreakers than in a penal institution or a jail?
D.B.
But Jesus, observing the anger and self-righteousness of the crowd, immediately defended His decision by saying that Zacchaeus, too, was a "child of Abraham (a fellow Jew)" who needed forgiveness just like everyone else.
What a wonderful story of hope this is for a population of prisoners. Zacchaeus was a swindler and extortioner. He was also held in contempt by his neighbors. Yet when Jesus came on the scene He wanted to fellowship with Zacchaeus, and offer him forgiveness, too.
And the Lord was in no way condoning Zacchaeus' life of crime and corruption. But Jesus knew this "sinner" needed a touch of mercy, not judgment. And it turned out well because Zacchaeus, in his contrition, offered to pay back four times the amount he had swindled, plus half of the goods he already possessed, Zacchaeus offered to give the poor.
So when people ask me, as they often do, if God will forgive a person if he has committed a crime, my answer is always, "Yes!" The Lord can forgive anyone if he is willing to turn from his sins and place his trust in Christ. After all, according to the Bible, Jesus came into the world to save "sinners." And where else could He find such a high concentration of transgressors and lawbreakers than in a penal institution or a jail?
D.B.
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