Mark Sorensen The story goes that there was a wealthy old miser who lived in a small village and he visited a rabbi. Desiring a more simplistic, anger-free life, he asked the rabbi for advice. Taking his hand, the rabbi led the miser to his window and asked him to look outside and tell him what he saw. After a moment of looking outside that window, the miser replied, “Well I see some men, some women, and a few children. Trees, birds, that sort of thing.” “Great!” replied the rabbi. Then he walked the miser over to a mirror in his home and asked him the same question. “What do you see?” “Well, obviously, I see myself.” “Interesting,” replied the rabbi. “In the window there is glass, in the mirror, there is glass but the glass of the mirror is covered with a little bit of silver. And no sooner is the silver added than you cease to see others, only yourself.”
Such a great story!
Ever notice in Luke’s gospel that, immediately following the story of the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-29), you have the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)? The tragedy of the Rich Young Ruler was his inability to let go of the wealth he had. In a sense, it had become his idol and kept him from seeing Christ in his midst. Yet, right on the other side of this story, Luke shares the story of Zacchaeus who – though he had wealth – upon encountering Jesus in his midst, that wealth became secondary. Jesus became the most important thing.
Here’s the good news for us all, friends. Our debt of sin has been paid. Christ came so that we might know freedom and, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17) May that be the window of freedom that we look out of today, and every day to come!
