It is a worthy endeavor to pause often, to look back over the days and months (even years) to see the mileposts of your life.  When looking, you might be tempted to see the many accomplishments secured or the hurdles and trials you have jumped or walked through during your lifetime.  However, there is a more important type of milepost a person should strive to recall.  As followers of Jesus, we need to remember the times in our lives when we demonstrated our faith through our obedience to God.

In the Bible, we are given several faithful individuals to study, and one such person was a citizen of the city Jericho.  In church, the evangelist spoke of the salvation of Zaccheus, a tax collector from Jericho, and in discussing the town, we learned how the city was filled with people of low-repute.  Additionally, we also learned how the city was low, for it was situated lowest in elevation, sitting far below sea level.  This was where the Lord walked, taught, and met with people.  As we consider the two biblical narratives (Rahab and Zaccheus), it causes us to consider the ‘courage’ of both individuals.

First, the courage of Rahab.

”she tied the scarlet cord in the window.”

One simple piece of deep red cloth tied to the outside post near her window—that was the requirement, and Rabah stepped out in faith in that one action, trusting in the LORD.  As believers today, as followers of the SAME GOD, we can also trust GOD’S working in our lives.  As we walk by faith (as Rahab), we can be used by the LORD, we can accomplish His perfect plan for our lives and for the people HE has come to save.  You and I might think that the acts of obedience we are given to do are of importance to the salvation of others, but this is just not true.  Our obedience to God touches others’ lives and helps them see Jesus alive and at work.  Isn’t that what we are called to do—OBEDIENCE TO GOD?

Just as the Old Testament biblical narrative reveals in Rahab, we next see the courage of Zacchaeus.

Zaccheus was a well-known citizen of the city Jericho.  Yes, this was the same city as the one where Rahab had once resided.  As a tax collector, this man was not well liked, much like Rahab’s profession caused neighbors to look down on her.  However, in both cases, these two individuals, while imperfect in their humanity were useful to God’s Plan.

The citizen Zaccheus ran among the crowd of people gathered to see Jesus, climbed up in a tree, and positioned himself in a place where he could be used by God:  his body rested on the limb of a sycamore tree, far above the press of the crowd.  By the current standards of appropriate behavior of that day (and probably today as well), men did not run among the crowd, and they certainly did not climb trees, but Zaccheus did.  You see, the Bible records how this man was not a tall man, so he needed to place himself in an advantage place where he could see Jesus.  Rather than running ahead of the crowd to face Jesus and engage in a conversation, Zaccheus climbed up high to see Jesus more clearly.  What we should recall is that the Lord sees us just exactly as we are, in all our sinfulness and shame, and Jesus loves us anyway.  That’s right.  Jesus does not desire that we remain as we are (in our sinful state) because He came to seek and to save us from hell.  For Zaccheus, Jesus offered the same.  We know this to be true because of the details found in the Bible.