Many of us know the\u00a0story of Zacchaeus the tax collector from Jericho (Luke 19:1-10<\/a>).<\/p>\n Many of us are also probably stricken with paralysis at the sound of the Zacchaeus song<\/a>, which haunts the memory, and has probably destroyed the faith, of many a parent who has ever\u00a0done time teaching children\u2019s Sunday school or VBS. But I digress.<\/p>\n Not at all unlike another famous resident from Jericho, Rahab in the book of Joshua, Zacchaeus a \u201csinner\u201d (v. 7)\u00a0welcomes a visitor\u00a0into his home\u00a0with stunning, life-shifting results.<\/p>\n Without Jesus even needing to say a word, Zacchaeus commits to giving half his possessions to the poor and paying back fourfold anyone he has defrauded. And Jesus responds, \u201cToday salvation has come to this house. . . . \u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps you were taught\u00a0that right there that day\u00a0Zacchaeus was \u201csaved\u201d by accepting Jesus into his heart and receiving assurance of going to heaven when he died\u2014that all this was mainly for future benefit.<\/p>\n If we think of salvation as a one-time deal, a transaction with God, the ways that the Bible speaks<\/a> of salvation, save, savior, etc.\u00a0(Old and New Testaments) won\u2019t make very much sense\u2014like this story of Zacchaeus.<\/p>\n He is repenting, in the true biblical sense of the Greek word\u00a0metanoia<\/em>\u2014a change of heart that is evidenced in a change in how one lives<\/em>.<\/p>\n And to\u00a0this<\/em> change, Jesus says, \u201cToday salvation has come to this house.\u201d Zacchaeus needed salvation, a change of life now\u2014to be saved from himself.<\/p>\n And if we push that aside, we miss the great possibility of this story for all of us, here and now.<\/p>\n Salvation is something that keeps happening in our lives, needs to keep happening, as we work to conform our lives by God\u2019s grace to reflect the life of Jesus.<\/p>\n Over the years I have learned to pray differently. Hardly a day now goes by when I do not ask to be saved\u2014not the \u201csinner\u2019s prayer\u201d of conversion, but for a change in the tired patterns in my life.<\/p>\n That kind of prayer<\/a>\u00a0would have\u00a0been unthinkable to me some years ago, but I have come to see what I was missing.<\/p>\n The membership card I keep in my wallet for future consideration is of little use. I need salvation right now.<\/p>\n Deliver me, O Lord. Save me . . .<\/p>\n from broken relationships Not later. Not at some point in time. But now.<\/p>\n Right this minute. I want change, deliverance, peace . . . salvation.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t want things to continue as they are.<\/p>\n Save me. Now. Do it.<\/p>\n [A beautiful song by Audrey Assad, \u201cI Shall Not Want,<\/strong>\u201d\u00a0<\/a>captures this idea\u00a0far better than I am able to in a blog post.]\n<\/div>\nZacchaeus\u2019s salvation\u00a0is his committing to a change in life<\/em>\u2014from greed and dishonesty to generosity and justice.<\/h2>\n
![\"Zacchaeus\"](\"https:\/\/peteenns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/sicomoro-Zaccheo-e-Gesu\u0300.jpg\")
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from fear for my family
from the fear of what might be or might not be
from not knowing
from the need to know
from the need to be right
from this horrid and subtle self-centeredness
from looking down on any other human being
from feeling misunderstood and undervalued
from being defined by my past
from judging others by their past
from manipulating my neighbor with\u00a0clever words
from feeling not enough
from what I cling to
from all my failings
from all my accomplishments<\/p>\nZacchaeus finds salvation. And so can we. Every day.<\/h2>\n