From the Trash Heap

After Deb Kirby washed her hands at her Attleboro, Massachusetts home one
day last week, she took off her rings and wrapped them in a paper towel to
let them dry. A little later she was cleaning up the area and inadvertently
threw away the folded paper towel that contained her rings, including her
engagement and wedding bands.

She took out the trash and it was soon picked up by a garbage truck from the
city's trash collection company, Waste Management.

Later, when she realized what she had done, she frantically called Waste
Management. The company had the truck that picked up her garbage unload at a
transfer station. Kirby and some of the employees dug through heaps of
stinking garbage to find her five valuable rings. She knew that the rings
were in a black garbage bag with a blue drawstring. In just 30 minutes, the
bag - and the rings! - were found. *

One day Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho (see Luke 19). His
presence attracted a crowd.....

There was a man who wanted to see Jesus, but he was having difficulty
because of the crowds - because he was short in stature. His name was
Zacchaeus. He wanted to see Jesus so badly that he climbed a sycamore tree
so he could see over the crowd.

When Jesus reached the place where Zacchaeus was in the tree, He looked up
and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your
house today" (v. 5). Zacchaeus came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
The people of Jericho saw this and began to mutter, "Jesus has gone to be
the guest of a sinner" (v. 7).

Zacchaeus was one of the most hated and despised people of Jericho because
he was a tax collector. He was viewed by many in Palestine as a traitor
because he collected taxes for the Roman government. Many tax collectors
grew very rich by "charging extra" while collecting taxes and lining their
own pockets.

According to most people in the land, tax collectors like Zacchaeus belonged
on the trash heap. But Jesus had good news for Zacchaeus: "Today salvation
has come to this house, . for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save
that which was lost" (vs. 9-10).

That's Good News for ALL of us! When we were on the trash heap of sin and
headed for eternal destruction, Jesus came looking for us. His search and
rescue mission is an indication of His great love for us, not our intrinsic
value. In fact, it is His love that makes us valuable to Him. He loves us so
much that He gave His life for us to save us from sin and sin's punishment
(John 3:16).

If we will place our faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their
sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10),
and be baptized (immersed) into Christ (Acts 2:38), He will save us from sin
and give us the gift of eternal life (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 6:23).

Deb Kirby says she's "extremely grateful and so very impressed" by Waste
Management and its employees who helped her to find her lost valuables.

We should also be "extremely grateful and so very impressed" by the love
that Jesus had for us to leave heaven and come to find us and save us from
eternal destruction.

Won't YOU accept His offer of salvation and eternal life?

David A. Sargent