Luke 19:1-10 KJV
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

People are labled by heighth, what they wear, what characteristic whether it is an unwanted flaw in their ability. Meaning some attribute that seems to give them less of ability, then the average person. Skin color is often a lable target whether meant or not too. It attribute of a person that can not be changed by the drop of a hat. Short people put on heels to look tall, and giants well they can only walk on their knees to be short. Yet in reality these traits are not what we see after we get to know someone. It like racism. If you take time to know someone of different race, you no longer see lable of color except in decription of a person's appearance, why because myths of people are short lived when one gets to know them and their abilities to prove society wrong. This is black history month and refrain from talking about black history month because it the only history month of skin. Yet is black history month to be celebrated as a color of race or as a people that were once thought to be less then human. I think where society is failing in teaching segregation and failing to say get to know someone that is different, whether it be color of skin, sizes, and abilities before making a decision on what a person is. Some of the strongest people are marked by darker pigmentation then I am, and some of the weakest are marked by the same pigmentation. If I defined all people wearing a seeable tatoo in this day and age as being corrupt in lifestyle I be sadly mistaken. If I marked people by the holes in their ears and nose by piercing by tradition of Africans, but done by whites, I would be marking someone by stupidity and not by their intelligence. Some of the big holes were done so by black people so they would not be imprisoned on ships and taken by traders and slavers, which at the time was intelligence. People consider these things they did to their body ugly, yet it was intelligent to make a mark that caused the devil not to enslave you. Do you know that is what the Holy Spirit does when we get saved. He marks and tells us we are a child of God, we become a peculiar people. He not only marks us but protects us until earthly death passes our soul into eternal life. Devil has to have permission to test us from God. People that bought slaves cared what their property they bought looked like especially slaves, and so those with oddities were not taken. Why do people do it today, I am not sure, it still gives many people had that same reaction, and for others it is novelity and way of expressing themselves in society. Those are features that could be changed but heighth, color of eyes, how many finger and toes you had could not be alter without loosing an eye, color contacts, and loosing leg or arm.

Why are people first impressions to judge a person by outwardness, because they are not Jesus who could see the heart of man. Jesus not only seen a short Zaccheus in a tree looking down at him, the one position Jesus had on Zaccheus was now reversed because Zaccheus climbed in to a branch higher then the crowd of people. What did Jesus see a man that was the son of Abraham. Something not seen by outward appearance necessarily becaue he was a tax collector and people seen his greed and not his heart of faith. If we could see everyone heart we would choose someone with a loving one and not a hate filled heart. God choses the heart filled heart to change it? No we see Jesus choose people of faith, and the people that hated him through out his ministry, he continued to love and speak truth.. He chose the "sinner to eat with him that welcomed him" and chose the one saved by God grace, because they open their life to him. We see him standing against vipers, and healing those in need of healing that would believe.

In the story of Zaccheus we see a man short in stature that everyone apparently looked down on one because he was a tax collector and two because of his heighth. In the tree I sure he felt like a tall man when Jesus stop by and looked up and said he was going to his house that day. Jesus went in two doors, but no one see the first door that was open to Jesus but Jesus. It was the heart of Zaccheus Jesus entered in first and second his earthly physical home. Yet we do not see the second picture, for the story can not show the first door that opened to Jesus. Zaccheus came down out of that tree and the crowd mumbled that man was a sinner, why are you talking to him. Jesus says this man is a son of Abraham, a man of faith. Zaccheus said he would gave double of his possessions to the poor and restore 4 times anything taken in false accusation. Salvation came to Zaccheus with his repentance and his admitting of sin. Yes he was sinner, but he was man that was repenting, before Jesus, honoring those around him who accused him as being a sinner, for he was justified by faith not by his works, but his works would now be attitribute of his faith. People are lost because of sin in need of God's saving grace. The little lamb that lost from the flock, yet when Jesus finds the lamb he picks him up and takes him into the fold of the sheep. He is received by the sheep as returned by Jesus.

Truth by actions of the sort of person we truly are whether in public or behind close doors speaks whose child we are to those we testify by our life style and not necessarily the way we look. Our life style, the way we treat people speak volumns, thought it does necessarily speak the heart, we need to ask ourselves what impression are we giving people by our actions. I get mad when I see characteristic emphasized in away that makes anyone not equal because ot that characteristic. Short people learn to climb trees. People without arms and feet move around sometimes better then those with limbs. People that are blind and deaf can often hear and see more then the sighted person. Are we blind to the hearts of people the answer is yes, but the Spirit of God also speaks to the heart of the believer to testify of the person faith, and not only faith but the type of person they are trying to be.

It okay to look at people and groups of people's good achievements in life, but when we segregate that information to mean we only tolerate those people and no one else and it forms into hate, there is a problem. The crowd judged Zaccheus not by his ability his lack of good qualities. How come people judge by bad qualities only. Can we see the good even in bad people. Can we look for the good in all people. From Middle school and up we see often the rise of bigotry and differences being pointed out. Why because as young people grow they looking for people like themselves. People like themselves for whatever reason to bound friendship. Yet friendships also changes with separation into groups not the same, or the ability to interact with those like themselves, unless they work hard to keep the friendship that the world seems to want to divide.

Jesus drew a crowd of people and all wanted to see, touch and hear Jesus. Crowd had one goaled to understand what others understood about him as being the Messiah, even when they lacked faith. They were looking for the evidence to convince them of who he was and that he would welcome them to him despite their background or heritage. He called to people with deformities, illness, and all diseases. They were blind, they were lame and they were in need of healing. Sinner needing forgiveness and the world needed Jesus. Even the healthy despite the outcast being before came carrying the sick to Jesus.

When Jesus knocks at your door of your heart he is asking you to receive him in as you are. He wants to make a sweep of your heart, and cleanse you from all your sin. Can you lay the judgment of race, outward appearance aside, and take time to know someone as they are?

Dear Heavenly Father, help you children to be people of not only faith, but people desiring to know people not because of appearance but because you love them first. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Colossians 3:10-17 KJV
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.