‘Conversations with Jesus’
There was a wealthy, lowlife, tax-man named Zac, whose life changed when he climbed up a tree to see a teacher from Nazareth. This teacher saw him and honoured him by coming to his house for dinner. As he engaged in conversation with the teacher, Zac was transformed. He decided to follow this man – giving up his previous life of corruption with the promise to pay back all those who he had swindled. That day, Zac was saved – becoming a follower of Jesus. (Luke 19:1-10)
Conversation is a powerful tool. Through conversation people can sway people towards good or wrong; it can persuade people to change their thinking; it can influence people to radically adjust their lives. We see this in our politicians and journalists, the memes of our social media and in the banter and conversation of the school, university or workplace. And there is no more powerful a moment, than when people begin engaging in conversation with Jesus, as Zac did in 33AD. Conversations with Jesus tipped people’s lives upside-down back then and they have the same effect today.
Several months ago, one of our 10am congregation members, Ian, began a conversation with Jesus as he began reading the gospel of Luke. Ian began with some cynicism – demanding that sound evidences were needed in order to back up the claims of Jesus. He was amazed that this guy Luke, who interviewed many eyewitnesses, could verify these stories as facts. The more he read of Jesus – the more he came to understand that Jesus was not just a magician and wise man of that age, but that he was God and that he really came to save. We praise God that Jesus has had such an impact on Ian’s life.
As we enter into a time of heightened evangelistic activity here at church it is worth us stopping to reflect on what we are hoping to encourage our not-yet Christian family, friends and neighbours to do. We aren’t trying to dazzle them with fine sounding arguments or convince them with philosophical rhetoric – they don’t want this anyway. Instead, we hope to engage people in a conversation with Jesus, the creator of all things and the one who came to save them.
Who might you help to engage in a conversation with Jesus?
Mick Bullen