Learning That God Would Never Forget Me

In review of Luke 19:5a it says, “[Jesus] looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name! ‘Zacchaeus!’ he said.”

Bottom Line:

Jesus knows each of us by name and wants to be part of our life today.

What this means to me:

When Jesus came by, he looked up and said, Zacchaeus, hurry down, I must be a guest in your home today.  This verse reminds me that Jesus knows everyone, including me by name. Jesus wants to be part of my life today if I will allow him. Zacchaeus was a man whose life had been ridiculed and rejected for his sinful life (he was a chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich by cheating and taking advantage of others.) But Jesus not only looked at him; Jesus also showed that he knew him by calling Zacchaeus by his name. What a shock it must have been for Zacchaeus to know that Jesus knew his name. What I have learned is that God not only knows where I’m at in my life; but he also knows who I am. He knows what I’m going through, why I’m going through it, and how I feel about it. He even knows me better than I know myself. He cares about me personally. Interestingly enough, Zacchaeus means “pure one.” That’s the last thing I would think of when thinking of a corrupt government official. He was anything but pure. And yet Jesus, by calling Zacchaeus by name, was saying, “Hey, pure one, I’m coming to your house today.” Jesus was affirming what he saw in Zacchaeus, not what he was. It’s natural to be afraid to get close to Jesus, thinking he’s going to scold me for all the things I’ve done wrong. But instead Jesus wants to affirm me. He wants to let me know how much he loves me. Isaiah 49:15-16a says, “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (NLT). When Jesus died on the cross, stretched out his arms, and the soldiers put nails through his hands, my name was engraved there. When I get to Heaven, there will be no scars on anyone except Jesus. He’s going to have those scars for eternity to remind me how much he loves me, to say, “Do you think I could forget you? Not a chance! This is how much you matter to me.” Jesus can look and affirm what he knows is inside someone. It’s my job to remember first that He loves me unconditionally, and secondly that my life and my testimony can help others get introduced to Jesus. It can be a “when Jesus came by” scenario for them.