Good News Stories

Jesus had just finished relating the parable of the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector.  "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:9-10)

The people were still under the impression there would be a political leader who was coming to remove the Romans from power. Jesus' story was laying that idea to rest as He explained first He would go away for a while, and His followers would have to be faithful and produce fruit in His absence. Only then would He return to set up a Kingdom like they were envisioning.

We have that same command.  We have the resources, the gifts to follow Jesus' directions and bring people to faith, we just have to do it. We live in that time period; between Jesus' departure and His second coming and we have the charge to spread the Good News so that everyone may come to know who Jesus is and what that means to them.

Luke 19:11 (NIV) 
While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 

The command we have been given, to "seek and to save what was lost," isn't a passing thought, it is our life's work. Jesus didn't come to earth to tell us a secret and have us keep it to ourselves. We are to tell the world and to use our own special gifts to accomplish this task.  Do you know what your gifts are? Do you understand them and want to use them for the greater good?

You can read about them in 1 Corinthians 12. This section explains how we are One Body; and there are many arts which form this One Body. Our individual gifts build up the body and when we use them for the sake of the Gospel we are doing as Jesus taught. We will then hear the words, "Well done, my good servant." (Luke 19:17)

Luke 19:11-19