Jan 03,2021- JOY – ALSO TO THE FAMILY!

“Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:9).

The happiness due to one’s salvation does not contain with him alone but it encompasses the entire family as well. ‘If one member of a family gets saved, it will be the same for the other members’ is a promise of God (Acts 16:31). Is it not?

Many people used to witness this way. “My father was a terrible drunkard. He will be taking away all the things from the home and sell them for drinking. Now, he got saved. The entire family of ours lookslike a mini heaven.” Yes. When a sinner repents and turns into a child of God, it also gives joy to the other family members. The reason is that God, who turns a sinner into righteous, makes happiness prevail in the entire family. “The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous” (Psalm 118:15). Is it not?

In the 19th chapter of the book of Luke, we read about the repentance of Zacchaeus. When Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” Zacchaeus became very happy. The Scripture says, “So he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully” (Luke 19:6). If the promise of coming to his house itself had made him so happy, the physical stay of Jesus Christ in his home might have made him much happier.  Jesus Christ staying in your heart permanently brings much greater happiness in you. Is it not?

The happiness in Zacchaeus arose because of the stay of Jesus Christ in his home. When he walked with Jesus, he guilt-fully confessed his sin to Him. He open-heartedly said, “Lord, if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” Zacchaeus was ready to offer any sacrifice to receive the joy.

Jesus was happy to hear that and said happily, “Today salvation has come to this house.” That happiness does not belong to Zacchaeus alone but the whole family. The Son of man, who had come to seek and to save that was lost, gave that joy of Salvation to all in the family. The whole family rejoiced. Dear children of God, firstly, there is a joy to the individual who gets saved. Secondly, there is happiness for the family. Thirdly, there is happiness for the whole of heaven.  

To meditate: “And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry” (Luke 15:23, 24).