Do you also break into a cleaning panic when someone is about to come over to your house? Like most people, our house doesn’t stay perfectly clean all the time. We have a toddler and a dog running around and so it’s a constant battle between the hair, the mess, and the toys. But when someone is coming over, it’s time to get everything as neat and orderly as possible. Well…at least the parts that people can see. One time, we forgot that someone was coming over at 10am and we woke up at 9:30 to a text that said “We’re on our way.” You’d think someone put a cattle prod in the sheets the way we burst into action. Thankfully we got everything cleaned or tucked away in an unassuming closet before our guests arrived.
Sometimes we treat our hearts like I treat my house when guests are coming over. I want people to see the best of me, that means clean floors, rooms, and toilets. Very few people are allowed into the mess, into the everyday ebb and flow of life. Similarly, only few people truly see and know the parts of our lives that don’t hold up the facade. Why would we want people to see the pieces of ourselves that are broken and make us feel less about ourselves? But it goes a step further. We even do our best to keep these parts away from God. From the beginning in Genesis, it is customary to hide ourselves from the impending inspection of our intimate failures and shortcomings. Adam and Eve hid and clothed themselves because of their shame. But what would we gain from true transparency? How would our lives change?
The familiar story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19 offers an interesting picture of full transparency.
Luke 19:5-8
“When Jesus came by, he (Jesus) looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 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!”
Zacchaeus’ life was transformed because of the intimate encounter with Jesus. Everything was on the table, all the people he had cheated, all the people he had hurt. But Jesus was able to step through all of it, to change his heart. No matter where we are and how long we have been following Jesus, we constantly are challenged with how deep are we going to let Jesus in, and how deep are we going to let people see that change. The second important part of this story is the impact that this transparent process had on everyone in Zacchaeus’ life. We too can live in the same place of authentically inviting Jesus into the deepest part of our lives, and letting that dictate our relationships with others. It’s out of that transparency that others will come to know God.
SOAP Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24
S: (scripture)
Read the above passage and underline, highlight, or write down passages that stand out to you. Maybe re-read it a few times if that’s helpful.
O: (observation)
Write down things you observe about the passage. Maybe it’s a word that stood out to you, something the passage made you think about, or a question that you have.
A: (application)
Write down some ways that the passage applies to your life. Make it personal.
P: (prayer)
Take a moment and pray. Ask God to make the passage practical to your everyday life.
