Day 7: One master
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8).
Sovereign God, our Father, You are God Almighty, the One who said, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go" (Isaiah 48:17). And from the outset, You taught us, "you shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).
The Lord Jesus Christ reiterated the priorities You had established for our lives: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40, Deuteronomy 6:5).
Our Lord often warned of the all-consuming substitutes that could displace wholehearted love for God and for others. He warned of pride and self-elevation, of hypocrisy, and of unforgiveness. He warned of worry and anxiety. And He warned of greed and idolatry:
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
The gospel writer Luke provides an amazing example of this truth when he describes a certain tax collector, Zacchaeus, who, before our very eyes, escapes the tyrannical reign of money over his life (Luke 19:1-10). We witness an astounding transformation as Zacchaeus encounters Jesus and begins to learn how to love God and to love others (Luke 19:8).
“The eye is the lamp of the body,” Jesus taught us. “If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:22-23).
It took the light of Jesus to illuminate the dark places in Zacchaeus’ affections—to help him gain the right priorities and perspective given in the wisdom of Your word: Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth… (Proverbs 3:7-9).
Touch our own eyes, today, Lord. Heal what is unhealthy. Remove any darkness that veils true wisdom. Show us where we have yielded mastery to tyrants that would cause us to forfeit our soul (Matthew 16:26). Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).
We pray for all whose eyes are blinded by the dazzle of the world—by the god of this age. May we all, like Zacchaeus see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4).
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