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Dec 08, 2023 18:30pm

Bloom

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We bought some gardenia bushes to plant around our back patio. But for weeks, they sat in their little plasting pots.

We’ll plant those tomorrow.

But tomorrow came and went and we, in fact, did not plant those bushes.

They seemed to be doing okay. Most of the leaves were still green but a few had yellowed.

Finally, one day, we made the decision. We were going to get these things in the ground. We measured, broke up the ground, dug the hole, filled with dirt, planted the bush, and finished up by giving them a drink of water.

That afternoon as we sat on the back porch, we looked at one of the plants and within just that short amount of time, a bloom had appeared and was opening up before our eyes. Soon it was in full bloom and we were completely amazed.

Even though it seemed like it was okay before, it now was thriving. That one decision to move it from the pot to the ground created instant results.

Luke 19:8-10

“And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Zacchaeus, a man of short stature with a tall attitude. He was a Jewish tax collector, which meant he was hated by the Jews. The Roman government over taxed the countries they ruled and of course, the Jewish people opposed it. These taxes provided money to a people group that served pagan gods. If a Jewish man became a tax collector, he was hated by his fellow Jews for betraying their own people and their God.

But these words in the scripture above about Zacchaeus don’t sound like the same type of man.

What was the difference?

An encounter with Jesus.

Zacchaeus thought he was doing good for himself as a tax collector, but when he met Jesus and decided to follow Him, everything changed.

Immediately, his attitude changed. He went from a spirit of taking to a spirit of giving. He no longer wanted the old life, he wanted the new.

Right before their eyes, he blossomed into a new man.

As if that wasn’t shocking enough, the words of Jesus rattled the people even more.

He called this hated publican a son of Abraham. He was a traitor and they hated him. He couldn’t be “one of them”. And even more so, to say that a son of Abraham needed to be saved was unthinkable. The Jews believed they were righteous because of their heritage. They were Jews, the chosen people of God. They didn’t need saving.

But they were wrong.

Zacchaeus recognized his need for Jesus. He made the decision to move from the old to the new.

And it changed everything.

Have you? You may feel like you’re doing fine right where you are, but there’s something even better ahead. There’s someone that wants to take the heavy load from you.

The moment you decide to follow Jesus, a change takes place. No more wilting, yellow leaves. Blooms begin to appear and the sweet smelling fragrance is a beautiful aroma to the Lord.

Is He calling you today as He called Zacchaeus? Do you feel that tugging in your heart? Respond. Come down from that tree. Follow Christ.

And bloom.