Sunday night I was reading about Zacchaeus in the Message, Luke chapter 19. You remember Zacchaeus, the wee little man, and a wee little man was he. That song was on one of the kids cassettes or CD's when they were little, so I can still hear little voices sing about Zacchaeus. Any way...the Message says in Luke 19:8 Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor-and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages." Did you guys catch that? If I'm caught cheating? Caught? The first thing I thought of was what if your not caught? (Play a game with my husband and he will tell you it is only cheating if you get caught!) What kind of a statement is that? If I get caught. As I thought about it more, I guess I have the same attitude with some things. If the speed limit is 55, I am guilty of going 58 or 59. If the speed limit is 65, I will be going 68 or 69. Is that any different? If I get caught, I will pay the price. Some people do the same thing on their taxes, cheat and hope they don't get caught. Unfortunately, a few people have the same attitude about their marriages or their jobs. It still sounded like a strange thing for Zacchaeus to say, though, especially while talking to Jesus. Even if he wasn't talking to Jesus it would still be a strange thing to say, seeing as how Jesus knows all we do, say and think. I looked that verse up in my New Living Translation and it was worded a little differently: Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!" I have to say the latter version made more since to me, but the first version had me thinking more. I hate to admit the number of times I have cheated the Lord out of something; whether it be money, time or something else, and hoped I didn't caught.

Please join me in praying for Mom this morning, she is in having cataracts removed from her second eye. The first surgery went fine and I am hoping for the same thing today.

I think Zacchaeus was a Viking fan! Did you notice the colors of his robe? What do you think, Chuck?