Our Journey to Bethlehem – Day 18 I Jesus Came to Seek and Save the Lost

Jesus Christ came to this earth to seek and save those of us who are lost, just as a shepherd seeks a lost sheep. Jesus came to save the lost, – lost people, lost souls. He came for “the lost,” those who are away from God.  So that we should not perish, (John 3: 16), ‘this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found’ (Luke 15: 24)

“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19: 5, 9-10. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17). It was through repentance and conversion; Zacchaeus grew in stature right before the eyes of those who with faith could “see” this transformation. This life-changing encounter between Zacchaeus and Jesus brings the blessing of Jesus to the entire household and he becomes a striking and personalized example of this inclusive love of God for “the lost.”

Christ proclaims to him the good tidings of His salvation. The prayer of the service of house blessing states explicitly that we ask the Lord to enter our home, just as He accepted to enter under the roof of Zacchaeus! We, like Zacchaeus should prepare for our own confessions, stand in the presence of Christ we can admit to our sins. He came to seek and save the sinner. He came to seek and save all of those who have become separated from the people of God. Christ wants to be in our presence, in our homes, in our lives. Christ does not stay away from us because He knows we are sinners. In confession, we lost ones, to invite Christ to come under the roof of our heart and to live with us.