He Looked Beyond my Fault

He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need Titus 2:11 and Eph 2:8-9

Friday, March 3, 2017

7:25 AM

One of the verses of scripture that used to haunt me, especially when I heard it preach on is, Hebrews 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

I've heard it at times preached in such a way that Jesus was aloof, and holier than thou, and "separate from sinners." But in my personal study of that verse I have found that it means that he didn't partake of sin, he refused to sin himself.

If you read the New Testament you find that Jesus was a great friend to some of the worst kinds of sinners this world has had.

I think of Zacchaeus - a tax collector, a liar and a thief. A cheat who made his money no doubt charging higher taxes and pocketing the extra for himself. A common practice for tax collectors in those days. But he heard Jesus was coming to town. A man who loved people, who healed the sick, made blind eyes to see, a miracle worker.

I don't know but I just wonder if because of his height and also his spiritual standing if he didn't really want to be seen by Jesus, or perhaps he was oblivious to the fact that Jesus might see him. He climbs a tree and looks around and watches him.

I have a feeling his little heart was pounding and burning as he shielded his eyes from the blazing sun and looked down on the Son working in the crowd beneath him. He would maybe shout with delight when someone was healed or when he saw the town cripple hobble up to Jesus and he saw Jesus reach out his hand and then the man threw his crutch to the ground and run to his family he couldn't contain his excitement and about that time Jesus looks up into the tree and says, "Zacchaeus come on down I want to eat at your house today." I don't know if he had trouble or not getting down, but he was ready to feed the master, and so transformed that he was ready to make right anytime he had cheated anyone.

Jesus looked past the fact that this man might have been a liar and a cheat, he saw that underneath all of that, Zacchaeus needed a friend, needed something the world couldn't give him a changed life.

I think of the poor woman who lived at Samaria, a life that seemed to everyone around her, ruined and wasted. Four failed marriages and now she was living with a man. Looked at by many of her so called friends as a failure. Feeling used and abused no telling what the poor woman had endured. feeling lonely, depressed, tired and fighting guilt she trudged her way up the hill to the town's well to get her water for the day. Maybe some turned their heads as she walked by, covered the eyes of their little children and hurried past her on the way. A forlorn, dejected outcast of a person. And to her chagrin when she reached the well to get her water, a man was sitting there, a Jew at that.

I picture her saying to herself, just mind your own business and get your water and leave, this doesn't have to be a big deal. But then he spoke to her. Asked her to get him a drink of water, that wasn't so bad. He actually sounded kind of nice. There was something trustworthy about his voice, and the way he spoke. Soon she was knee deep in a conversation with him, when he hit her with a tremendous truth. She had just asked him about the one who was to come, and he looked at her his eyes glistening, his face shining, as he says, woman I that speak unto thee, AM HE.

One songwriter said, "She left her bucket at the well." another wrote "I asked him for water, he gave me a well." She left there calling come see a man who told me all I ever did. Come see a man who gave me living water who changed me

Jesus looked past all of the failure, all of the guilt, all that she was carrying, he saw that this poor woman needed help, needed something that would satisfy, something that would change her life. Zacchaeus went after Jesus, but Jesus went after this poor woman and found her and changed her life. I think this morning of the time Jesus went to the pool of Bethesda he looked out on the group of people who had gathered there. All types of ailments and sicknesses. It is interesting to participate in a healing service, to hear the stories of why people have come forward for healing, I somewhat picture that group like that. One had tremendous pain, one had a tumor, one had gallbladder issue, one was diabetic, one was blind, one was lame, on and on the stories go but Jesus just stood there and eyed the crowd. Then he began to walk toward a certain cot. he walked past many needy people that day but he stopped at one, and said sir, why didn't you go get in the pool? And the man answered I don't have anyone to help me in. Here was a man that was truly helpless. An individual who couldn't take care of himself, was dependent on others to move him about to get him food to get him dressed. Had been that way almost forty years.

What that must have been like as Jesus touched him, oh how warm that touch was, how loving and gentle. And then to hear the most kind voice speak the most powerful words he had ever heard spoken, "SON TAKE UP THY BED AND WALK." He felt a surge of strength go through him, his mind was racing, his heart was pounding and even if he had wanted to stay laying down on the cot he couldn't. Without any type of physical therapy or practice he stood to his feet took a step and then pandemonium broke loose.

Jesus looked past this man's ability to help himself, to make his situation better, and touched and made him to walk and move and run to his family.

When I think of myself, I didn't climb a sycamore tree, but I sure would have if I thought it would absolve the guilt I was under, I didn't go to a well, but if that's what I thought it took to find Jesus I would have done it, I wasn't lame for 38 years, but I was just as incapable of changing my life as that man was, but, JESUS found me

he looked beyond my fault of rejection and saw my need of a redeemer

He looked beyond my fault of rebellion and saw my need of restoration

He looked beyond my fault of resistance and saw my need of relationship

He saw a soul that was in desperate need of forgiveness

He saw a sheep that needed a Shepherd.

I could not get to him, but he came to me - HALLELUJAH HE CAME TO ME

I don't know what maybe some of you are facing, maybe you are under guilt, maybe you have lied or cheated, maybe you have failed miserably, maybe you have looked at something you shouldn't have looked at, or have some addiction you can't seem to break free from. I want you to know that humanity gets stuck on those things. We focus on those problems, but Jesus, Jesus looks beyond those outward problems and faults and he sees the real need way down deep inside, and he is waiting watching hoping you will let him in to fix that need. to help you to transform your life. Won't you let him do it.

Come LET HIM HAVE HIS WAY WITH THEE - Sing find #