Recognized

 Jesus looked at him, loved him, and said to him, “There is one thing you lack: Go, sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.  Mark 10:21-22...."Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, 'I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much.' " Luke 19:8...."If the rich young ruler had truly recognized who Jesus was, he would have gladly let go of his relatively worthless treasures." Chris Tiegreen

I think that when it comes to Jesus Christ, everything comes down to a matter of recognition. Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was. After sharing a number of names, Peter said, "You are the Christ (the Messiah)." All of them had yet to even begin to grasp the infinite wonder of who Jesus is, but Peter saw that truth. He recognized who Christ was. Have we? Especially within the church, have we?

Can we see the great disparity between the responses of the rich young ruler, and the outcast tax gatherer Zacchaeus to the Person of Jesus Christ? The rich young ruler was a very religious man who did have a desire to know the Messiah. He was very zealous and willing to go to great lengths to follow Him. He had a boundary line though. His cherished wealth. That was his greatest treasure. He placed great value on Jesus, but he placed a higher one on his wealth. The glory of Christ could not compete with the glitter of his gold. He loved his gold with all his heart. In the presence of Christ, he didn't see his total poverty without Him. He didn't really recognize who He was. His trinkets mattered more.

Zacchaeus was also a rich man, and his wealth was his treasure as well.....until he was confronted with Christ. In Christ he saw all the riches to be found in Him. In comparison, all of Zacchaeus' riches were nothing. In His presence, Zacchaeus was made aware, totally aware, of his own spiritual poverty. He knew that all his riches were nothing but worthless tinsel in comparison with knowing and having Christ. He would joyfully surrender it all that he might know, have, and follow Him. Zacchaeus saw and recognized the glory of who Christ was and is. The rich young ruler didn't. Which do you and I most closely resemble? Despite what we may profess, do we truly recognize who He really is? Have we even begun to glimpse His glory?

I've heard it said that the rich young ruler, possessor of a divided heart as concerns Christ, would be gladly welcomed in most every church today, and quickly put into leadership.He looked right, said the right things, but was not fully His. How about Zacchaeus, especially a Zacchaeus who had no wealth......just a fully yielded heart for Christ? All he had to offer was a sold out life for Him. The first has no true recognition of His wonder and glory. The latter does. Who would be most welcome? We all know what the answer should be, just as we know who, in too many cases, the more welcome one would be.

Jesus told those who said they wanted to follow Him to count the cost. There has always been a cost....a great one. I think in these days, it's about to get even greater. Are we willing to follow Him no matter the cost or loss? I think that only those of us who truly recognize the treasure that is beyond price that is Jesus Christ will be able to do so. Everything else fades and nothing else really matters in comparison to knowing and having Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It's all a matter of recognition. 

In the Garden, after He had risen Mary didn't at first recognize Jesus. Then He spoke her name, and both her eyes and heart were opened. She beheld the risen Christ. She would never be the same again. So it is with all who recognize Him for who He truly is. Once we have truly "seen" Him and recognized who He is, how could we ever turn back or turn away from Him? I don't believe we can. I believe the only way anyone could was if they haven't really seen or recognized Him at all...... Have you seen Jesus?

Blessings,
Pastor O