THE TIMELESS MIRROR.
📌Why do we often look for a point of connection at first meeting with people?
The Son of God, Who Created the Universe, sat down with folk at gatherings to ‘relax’. Jesus visited the homes of people like Martha and Mary, Simon the Pharisee, or Zacchaeus to rest, eat, and share conversation.
Jesus visited the home of Zacchaeus in the city of Jericho, as recorded in Luke 19:1-10 NIV.
Key Details of the Story
- Who was Zacchaeus? He was a wealthy chief tax collector. Tax collectors were generally despised by local people for taking extra money.
- The Sycamore Tree: Zacchaeus was short and could not see Jesus over the crowd. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to get a view of Jesus as He passed by.
- The Invitation: Jesus stopped at the tree, looked up, and told Zacchaeus to come down because He intended to stay at his house that day.
- The Public Reaction: The crowd complained and muttered because Jesus chose to be the guest of a man labeled a sinner.
- The Response and Salvation: Zacchaeus pledged to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he cheated fourfold. Jesus declared that salvation had come to that house, stating that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.
We may have various answers, but the gospel truth is that our inner man feels more comfortable with its likeness. By our inner self, we are the best and whatever differs from ourselves is judged, and considered inferior! Remember:
- Matthew 7:1-3 (KJV): “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?”
Meaning and Context
- Hypocrisy, not discernment: Users on Quora generally agree that Jesus is warning against hypocritical, arrogant, or harsh condemnation of others, rather than banning all forms of moral choice or common sense.
- The speck and the log: Jesus uses the famous metaphor of a “mote” (a tiny speck of dust) in another person’s eye versus a “beam” (a large log) in your own eye.
- Self-correction first: The teaching tells people to look at their own faults and fix their own behavior before trying to correct someone else.
We at times will admit, that we do not feel secure with other people’s personalities/behavior; life begins and ends with us – none of us is exempt!
Key Meaning
- Visible vs. Invisible: People are visible, but God is invisible. Loving people you can see proves your love for God whom you cannot see.
- Actionable Faith: True Love for God requires real, practical l/Love for others. Saying you Love God means nothing if you treat other people with hatred.
- The Connected Command: This verse connects directly to the next verse (1 John 4:21), which commands that anyone who Loves God must also love their fellow believer.
Reflection: How do you cope with individual differences?
The truth? Hatred is a matter of heart, it is an outflow of who we are spiritually; unless God’s Love prevails in our hearts, we cannot Love like Jesus, Who never discriminate! A difficult fact that I had to deal with personally was that Jesus knew who would betray Him and not only washed his feet, but dipped bread in the same dish at the last supper!
John 13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b]
19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”
21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”
22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
It is not about faith but the Man inside us who is yet to see people’s identities in Christ… Let us seek to be born-again by God’s Words for better relationships with our world.
bible what being born again means
Being born again in the Bible means experiencing a spiritual rebirth and a fresh start in life through faith in Jesus Christ.
In the Bible, Jesus explains this concept to a religious leader named Nicodemus in John 3:3, stating:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Key Meanings of Being Born Again:
Spiritual Rebirth: While your first birth is physical, being born again is a work of the Holy Spirit inside you. It brings your dead or disconnected spirit back to life.
Becoming a Child of God: You move from being outside God’s family to becoming an adopted child of God.
A New Creation: The Bible says that anyone in Christ is a new creation. Your old way of life fades, and a new life begins.
Change of Heart: It is not about following religious rules or trying to be a better person on your own. It is an internal change that gives you new desires, thoughts, and Love for God.
How It Happens:
Admitting Need: Recognizing that you fall short and need God’s forgiveness for wrong choices (sin).
Trusting Jesus: Placing your faith and surrender in Jesus Christ, believing He died and rose again for your salvation.
Receiving the Gift: It is a free gift from God received by grace through faith, not something you can earn through good works
God have mercy!🙏🔥