Recently my accountability partner wrote a Lifelines with a reference to a great tale of old. He did not include the whole article. Thanks to him, my mind is refreshed. Here is that referred reading.

2 Kings 6:8-23 English Standard Version

Horses and Chariots of Fire

8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice.

11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

End quote

There are great lessons to be learned in this.

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

It takes time and patience to see Jesus Christ in others. We want to know Christ is in those we have fellowship with but we know Him as we know Him, not as others know Him. It took me a long time to discover that.

My accountability partner is in Christ. I know this for a certainty because when we are together I feel Christ is there with us, not just for me, but for the both of us. We are more together than apart, not different yet not exactly the same. Our experiences are different but those differences do not interfere with the bond of peace that exists because Christ is there strengthening the bond between us.

My witness is that some of us attract others in a manner in which being in their presence makes others feel better about themselves. Some will see the man as the attraction because they have not come to know Christ crucified. If they had they would see Christ in him is what is attractive.

We will be in a local gathering and there will be a huddle of people trying to get close to that one person. It is like a line of readers waiting to get a book autographed, except it isn’t a book signing. That is when we should look around the room to see the ones that are sitting alone. They are the ones that need us, not the main attraction.

I know this because I too have been that one feeling like an outsider with no one wanting to be with me. There is nothing so lonely as being alone in a crowded room. No one in Christ should feel that way. If they are not in Christ, well then, they really do need to have someone who knows Christ crucified to come along beside them.

One of the identities of the Holy Spirit is one who walks beside you. He guides us where we are needed if we read the room and stop focusing on the popular and seek the needy.

Isn’t that what Jesus would do?

Luke 19:5

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

Zacchaeus is only mentioned in the gospel of luke. He was small in stature but his reputation among the people was hated. He was of little consequence in the telling of the gospel that he only gets one mention. Jesus said “I must”  as if it was commanded of Him by the Father to show grace to this little hated man. 

This isn’t about Zacchaeus, it is about obedience of faith.