Not Too Far Gone

            Have you ever felt “too far gone”? Maybe, in the frustrations of life, we have even looked at others and said that they were too far gone, could not be helped, that where they had gone the love of God could not reach. Such a thought is so disheartening and is misguided. There are times where we think we cannot change, where we feel like what we have become is as good as it is going to get even though we wish for something more. As a pastor and a Christian writer, I can tell you that I have been in that place myself, agonizing over who I was while failing to see Who it was that called my name.

            Tax collectors were despised. They cheated their fellow citizens. They lied. They lined their own pockets at the expense of their neighbors. For a tax collector, life was about what was gained, never about what could be given. Zacchaeus was such a man, small in stature, grand in power, and wealthy. His concern was what he could gain and he was hated, as were the rest of his colleagues. Zacchaeus needed change in his life but those around, even the most religious of those around him, believed that nothing good could come from him…until Jesus came to town.

            One day, the crowds bustled in his town. A sense of wonder and awe led to the people stopping their normal routines to go to the streets to catch a glimpse of the One who was passing through. Zacchaeus, vertically-challenged we will say, could not see over the crowd, so he climbed in a tree to see this man named Jesus. No one else cared if Zacchaeus was there or not, but Jesus did. In the midst of a crowd, He called out Zacchaeus, the one the others despised, and wanted to go to his house.

            With a word, Zacchaeus’ world changed. Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today I must stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5 HCSB) Jesus called his name and called him into a new life. If you read the passage, you will see what the world thought about Jesus calling out to Zacchaeus. Luke wrote, “All who saw it began to complain, ‘He’s gone to lodge with a sinful man!’” (Luke 19:7 HCSB) The world said that Zacchaeus was too far gone. The world said that the love of Christ could not and should not reach into the place where Zacchaeus was, but the lesson is this: what matters is not what the world thinks, but rather what Jesus thinks.

            If you are reading these words today, know that you are not too far gone. Jesus is calling your name, calling you into a new life. He is reaching into the place where you are and telling you that He has a place He wants to take you that is far greater than what you have known. Zacchaeus responded to the call of Jesus by coming down from the tree, welcoming Him, then pledged, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.” (Luke 19:8) Change had come and as Jesus proclaimed, salvation had come that day.

            Change comes when we respond to the call of Christ as He calls us to walk closer with Him and as we seek His will over our own will. The world said Zacchaeus was too far gone, but sitting the tree that day, he was at the exact place where Jesus could reach him. Listen to the voice of the Lord. He’s calling your name and His call means that you, like Zacchaeus, are not too far gone.