Love the World: Justice

Father God, open my eyes, stir my heart and teach me how, ‘To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with…’ You today. (Micah 6:8)

Pause and pray

Today I reflect on the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus, and what it has to teach me about honesty, integrity and justice.

Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see without being seen. I can relate. But I don’t need a sycamore tree, I have a screen and the internet. I am able to participate in a vast crowd of activity invisibly and invulnerably. I can live vicariously and even voyeuristically. I can observe and critique the experiences of others without exposing myself to risk.

Even in prayer, I can begin with a desire to see something of Jesus without being challenged, but quickly become aware that He is looking right back at me, loving me more than I feel I deserve to be loved, inviting himself into my hidden world.

Lord, as I become aware of Your loving gaze, I invite You into my secret life, my inner world, my messy home once again. I’m humbled by the single-minded way You focus on me and name before You the attitudes and actions I would normally try to hide.

Pause and pray

Holy God, I ask You to go after those in our world who are dishonest and trying to hide. I ask You to show up on their doorstep like You did for Zacchaeus; break into their darkened rooms and transform their lives for the sake of the poor. Continue to clean out corruption from our society.

Pause and pray

Zacchaeus is totally transformed by a moment with Jesus. He doesn’t just say a private sorry and resolve to change his ways in future. He publicly apologises and makes massive financial reparations. It’s uncomfortable to admit that sin is not just ‘spiritual’ but ‘social’, and my personal repentance may well at times also involve public restitution.

Lord Jesus, I yield to Your invitation and receive You afresh into my home, my family, my workplace, my finances, and my shame. If You are inviting me to put something right very practically in some personally costly way, please give me the courage to obey, to put my love for the world into action and to receive the joy of true freedom.

Amen.