Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Consecrated Life
Rev. Larry Varghese
Horeb MTC, Los
Angeles, CA
10 For
the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Recently, a German court convicted 94-year-old former SS guard, Oskar Groening, for being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews. He was stationed at the Auschwitz death camp. Though no one can know for sure, many estimate the number of deaths at Auschwitz to be between 1.1 and 1.5 million people. The acts of the Nazi’s are undeniably horrific.
But something else that has angered many is the act of one woman – an Auschwitz survivor. Eva Kor, now 81 years old, and her twin sister were just 10 years old while detained in Auschwitz. The cruelties she faced are indescribable. Eva had desired to come face to face with someone who was responsible for the atrocities. When she met Oskar Groening she knew what she had to do… she reached out her arms, hugged him, and publicly forgave him. Understandably, many of the victims of the Holocaust were deeply offended by her actions of forgiveness.
Sometimes I think we forget the relevancy of the old Bible stories. To the Jews, a tax collector was a traitor. Collecting taxes for Rome puts the individual on the same side of the Roman oppressors. The chief tax collector was the worst offender. The fact that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was rich made him all the more despicable. Why would anyone welcome such a treacherous person?
But for Jesus, being with Zacchaeus was the obvious place to be. Jesus’ mission was for the lost! The ones that no one wanted. The ones that no one believed deserved to be found. The utterly broken. The hopelessly off track. He finds them and he does the unexpected – he accepts them and consecrates them!
The effect of Zacchaeus’ consecration is seen vividly as Zacchaeus declares his concern for none other than the lost. The truly consecrated life is remarkably Christ-like. Zacchaeus pledges to give his wealth back in charity for the poor and in restitution for the cheated. Before people became angry with Eva Kor’s forgiveness, people were angry with Jesus’ forgiveness. Many in those days could not stand the concept of grace that flowed from the consecrated life of Jesus to the newly and divinely consecrated life of Zacchaeus. Biblical truth is often piercing. Shall we be consecrated like Zacchaeus was by Christ? Can we have a heart for the lost like Christ has a heart for us?
Recently, a German court convicted 94-year-old former SS guard, Oskar Groening, for being an accessory to the murder of 300,000 Jews. He was stationed at the Auschwitz death camp. Though no one can know for sure, many estimate the number of deaths at Auschwitz to be between 1.1 and 1.5 million people. The acts of the Nazi’s are undeniably horrific.
But something else that has angered many is the act of one woman – an Auschwitz survivor. Eva Kor, now 81 years old, and her twin sister were just 10 years old while detained in Auschwitz. The cruelties she faced are indescribable. Eva had desired to come face to face with someone who was responsible for the atrocities. When she met Oskar Groening she knew what she had to do… she reached out her arms, hugged him, and publicly forgave him. Understandably, many of the victims of the Holocaust were deeply offended by her actions of forgiveness.
Sometimes I think we forget the relevancy of the old Bible stories. To the Jews, a tax collector was a traitor. Collecting taxes for Rome puts the individual on the same side of the Roman oppressors. The chief tax collector was the worst offender. The fact that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was rich made him all the more despicable. Why would anyone welcome such a treacherous person?
But for Jesus, being with Zacchaeus was the obvious place to be. Jesus’ mission was for the lost! The ones that no one wanted. The ones that no one believed deserved to be found. The utterly broken. The hopelessly off track. He finds them and he does the unexpected – he accepts them and consecrates them!
The effect of Zacchaeus’ consecration is seen vividly as Zacchaeus declares his concern for none other than the lost. The truly consecrated life is remarkably Christ-like. Zacchaeus pledges to give his wealth back in charity for the poor and in restitution for the cheated. Before people became angry with Eva Kor’s forgiveness, people were angry with Jesus’ forgiveness. Many in those days could not stand the concept of grace that flowed from the consecrated life of Jesus to the newly and divinely consecrated life of Zacchaeus. Biblical truth is often piercing. Shall we be consecrated like Zacchaeus was by Christ? Can we have a heart for the lost like Christ has a heart for us?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, consecrate us for your Kingdom.
Let your love for us who were lost be our love for others who are lost. Amen
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
If Christ was set apart for the sake of the lost, then why would our consecration be any different.
If Christ was set apart for the sake of the lost, then why would our consecration be any different.