Nothing Can Separate Us From God\’s Love

We all crave to be loved and most importantly to be given love that is unconditional. As a Sunday school teacher, this is the message that I aim at giving my Sunday school class. We are teaching them that it is only Jesus Christ who can give us this unconditional love. He is the same yesterday, today and will always be.

Several weeks ago in our Sunday school class of 9 – 12-year-olds, we read the story of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector found in Luke 19:1-10.

Let me point out here that during the time Jesus Christ lived here on earth, it was the reign of the Roman Empire, and tax collectors were among the most unpopular people in Israel. We see this from the reaction of the crowd when Jesus said he was going to Zacchaeus’s house. In today’s world, there are still some people who are not popular or whom people tend to look at with a lot of cynicism.

As we discussed this story with my class, we zeroed down on two points that we would walk away with. I hope that like my class, you too will get some benefit from reading Zacchaeus’s story and find that indeed nothing can separate us from God’s love.

#1. No One Is Beyond Redemption

We live in a world where very, unfortunately, some people will not allow our past to stay where it belongs. Maybe in the days gone by you did somethings you are not proud of and would want to be erased from your life history. I have met people who will go on and on about how someone used to do XYZ even when the person they are referring to is now a completely different person. On the positive side, however, there is also a group of people who are gracious enough to allow our past to rest in peace.

In our story, we see that it did not matter what Zacchaeus had done or not done. When Jesus walked into Jerricho he felt drawn to him. At the end of the story, he remarked: “the son of man came to seek and save those who are lost.”  We read in another scripture that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world”. 

Of significance in this story, is the manner in which Jesus approached Zacchaeus. He began by inviting himself to his house. He did not ask him what he had done but Zacchaeus on his own volition offered to make restitution with generous interest to those he may have cheated. He showed us that internal change must be accompanied by external actions.

The call extended to Zacchaeus is also available for you and me today. What you may have done or failed to do is not of significance. This is because “nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”  Today, Jesus is extending an invitation to you to come just as you are.

#2. We Are Saved By Faith Not By Our Works

Another lesson from this story is we are all saved by God’s grace and not our works. One may wonder whether it was the effort  Zacchaeus had put in to get a glimpse of Jesus when he climbed the sycamore tree or if it was just the love Jesus felt for him and the fact that he knew he was not popular. However, when you read the scripture that says “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” Then you realize that it was grace – unmerited favor that drew Zacchaeus in.

We are told that “our righteousness is like filthy rags…..” this again points to the fact that it is not what you do that will get you a place in eternity. It is having faith in Jesus Christ and asking him to be your Lord and Saviour.

Finally,

We see from Zacchaeus’s story, that it is evident Jesus came to save all the lost (read humankind) regardless of race, background or way of life. He stands waiting patiently for you to respond to his invitation and find rest from the cares and burdens of this world. Will you accept his invitation?