— Joshua 24:15

On Nov. 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald learned of the route President John F. Kennedy would travel from the airport through Dallas to his meeting place.

Oswald went ahead, entered the Texas School Book Depository with rifle in hand and positioned himself before a window overlooking the caravan. At a precise moment, the expert rifleman looked through his scope, fired a shot at the open car and assassinated the president of the United States of America.

Concealed behind a wall, Oswald’s heart’s intent was to kill, a feat that backfired on him only a few days later when he was mercilessly murdered outside the jail.

What a contrast when we look at Luke 19 and read of Zacchaeus, who also knew of a man’s caravan route about 2,000 years ago. He also ran ahead, but to perch in a tree and look down upon the King of Kings. 

He was not concealed because of a sinful heart, but out in the open where Jesus could look up and see him. Zacchaeus was a man waiting to confess his sin from a truly repentant heart, a heart that would bring new life, not death.

While Oswald shut himself up unto death, Zacchaeus opened himself up unto life.

We read in Luke 19:5-9, “And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said unto Zacchaeus, ‘Make haste and come down.’ ... So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ... Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord: ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’ ... And Jesus said to him, ‘Today, Salvation has come to this house.’”

We see spiritual warfare undoubtedly bring eternal death to one and eternal life to the other. As it says in Revelation 21:8, “... The cowardly, unbelieving, abominable murderers ... shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

And in Revelation 21:7, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.”

Psalm 1:6 reads, “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Thank You, Jesus, for life.