Post by Josh on Jan 16, 2021 13:11:04 GMT -8
Dear white Christian brothers and sisters:
Zacchaeus was a tax collector who colluded with a corrupt government to extort the poor. After he had his literal Jesus moment his immediate response was to pay back four times the amount he had stolen from his victims. That’s what repentance looked like for a sincere Christ follower.
Our country mistreated and extorted African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, some for hundreds of years and the best national repentance we could offer was a slow torturous process of begrudgingly offering basic human freedoms?
I’m not saying this is simple. And I realize there are some differences between personal sins and corporate sins, but let’s not let use that to get off the hook. Ancient Israelites (both good and bad) suffered for the sins of their government, and God expected their government to redress wrongs.
The US is not a modern “God’s chosen people” but God has always called all nations to account for wickedness. How have we accounted? Is it sufficient or should be looking for a more full path of repentance?
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Luke 19:2-8
Originally posted June 11, 2020
Zacchaeus was a tax collector who colluded with a corrupt government to extort the poor. After he had his literal Jesus moment his immediate response was to pay back four times the amount he had stolen from his victims. That’s what repentance looked like for a sincere Christ follower.
Our country mistreated and extorted African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, some for hundreds of years and the best national repentance we could offer was a slow torturous process of begrudgingly offering basic human freedoms?
I’m not saying this is simple. And I realize there are some differences between personal sins and corporate sins, but let’s not let use that to get off the hook. Ancient Israelites (both good and bad) suffered for the sins of their government, and God expected their government to redress wrongs.
The US is not a modern “God’s chosen people” but God has always called all nations to account for wickedness. How have we accounted? Is it sufficient or should be looking for a more full path of repentance?
A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Luke 19:2-8
Originally posted June 11, 2020