As a society, we’ve always had this tendency to avoid people for one reason or another.  Anything that makes us uncomfortable can cause us to change our intended path out of a desire to simply circumvent dealing with certain situations.  It could be because of our dislike of a certain person.  Maybe we’re uncomfortable being around those that are different in some visible way (too short, too tall, too skinny, too fat, someone who is handicap, a person of another race/culture).  Maybe it’s because they have a strong and/or negative personality that we don’t care to be around.  If I’m being transparent, I’ve done it on numerous occasions.  It’s easier to avoid something than to deal with it, right?  Not really, but that’s the lie I’ve told myself.  Over the years, I have chosen to avoid certain people simply because I didn’t want to deal with the responsibility of righting a wrong, talking through an existing issue, or any number of reasons.  As a Christian (and a minister), I’m ashamed of those actions.  I have no excuse because I know better.  Regardless of how uncomfortable something may make me feel, it doesn’t give me an excuse to sidestep the road of reconciliation with someone, regardless of the circumstances.  Or even worse, choose not to minister to them in their moment of need.

If you look at the life of Jesus, He never left anything unsaid.  He dealt with issues head-on and fixed whatever was broken.  If someone was doing wrong, He didn’t point the finger of blame for His own personal gain.  He loved them through their wrongs and offered them another way– a better way.  Luke 19 tells us the story of a man of small stature who was a chief tax collector named Zacchaeus.  Most of us know him because of the little song we used to sing in Sunday School (you’re humming the tune in your head right now, aren’t you?  Ha, ha).  Tax collectors were viewed in those days as scoundrels and known to be crooked in their business dealings.  Rather than avoid the drama that surrounded him, Jesus sees him hanging in a tree and states, (vs 5) ““Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”  During their time together, a change starts taking place in his heart.  In verses 8-10 he exclaims, ““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.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Do you have enough Jesus in you to encourage a change in someone’s life?

Closing remarks and encouragement:  Rather than fall into the trap of doing what everyone else felt He should have done, Jesus chose to spend time with ole’ Zach and love on him for a little while.  That simple act made a huge difference.  Our opinions about others around us don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.  We can love the sinner without condoning the sin.  Isn’t that how God treats us?  What makes us think others aren’t worthy of the same treatment?  Rather than place ourselves in the judgment seat-which isn’t our job in the first place- lets choose to love other through their “stuff.”  I assure you, it will make a world of difference.