For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 (NKJV)
Many people feel the need to shame the sin out of people. They think they are compromising if they don’t shame people for the wrong things they do. But is that what Jesus did?
In Luke 19:1–10, Jesus passed by a man named Zacchaeus who had climbed a sycamore tree to get a better vantage point. He glanced up at Zacchaeus and called him by name, saying, “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today” (v. 5).
This may not seem like a big deal, but Zacchaeus was the most unlikely person to host Jesus for lunch. He was a lying, thieving tax collector. At the time, tax collectors decided how much someone would be taxed, and they often added more to the bill and pocketed the difference.
When Jesus announced that He would be the guest of this sinner, a murmur went through the crowd. According to their judgement, Zacchaeus was on a lower level. He was “more wrong” than they were. But with one statement, Jesus accepted Zacchaeus unconditionally. He reached down and lifted Zacchaeus from his shame-filled level to equal ground with everyone else.
Jesus didn’t shame Zacchaeus for his wrongdoing. He didn’t even mention it. Zacchaeus responded to Jesus’ unconditional love and acceptance by committing to give half of his wealth to the poor and to pay four times the amount back to anyone he had cheated (v. 8).
What can we learn from this? Instead of judging people, let’s value them. Through love and acceptance, we can help people to open their hearts to Jesus and be empowered to truly change.