Love is an Action

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Everything recorded in the Bible of Jesus represents love. Jesus did not just say he loved people, he showed it, because there is no proof that love exists unless you see results of it. Love is the evidence of God, our actions are the evidence of love.

I could tell you all day long that I love you but if I punched you in the face everytime I said it, you wouldn't believe me. The actions of someone are evidence of his intent, his character, and his heart. To only love one who is good is easy. But to love one who has sinned, now that's a man of good character.

The opposite of love IS sin and includes not only cheating, thieving, and lying but gossip, judgment, and self-righteousness. What good does running your mouth about someone else's sins do? None, not for the sinner you talk about or the sinner you are for talking about him. Rather, reach out to him and do something to help him, teach him a scripture, share what God has done for you when you were in your own darkness. That is how you love your enemy, by making him your friend and having a positive impact on his life.

We are all people, children of God, battling shadows cast by the same enemy in this world. We should be battling shoulder to shoulder and not one another. The greatest love story ever told is the one of a father's love, sacrificing his son, so that ALL his children can be delivered from darkness and be with Him. Love is an action. His are the actions of a good and loving God. What do your actions say about you?