Scripture: Luke 19:1–10 (KJV)
Watch Pastor Lauderdale’s message titled He Saw The Best In Me.
Beloved, there’s a powerful truth we all need to remember: God does not see us the way the world sees us. The world is quick to label, judge, and dismiss. But God looks deeper. He sees purpose where others see problems. He sees calling where others see failure. And when God sees you, He sees the potential for life change and spiritual growth—even when you can’t see it in yourself.
This truth is captured in Marvin Sapp’s song “He Saw the Best in Me,” and it’s powerfully illustrated in Luke 19:1–10 (KJV) through the life of a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus had a reputation, and it wasn’t a good one. He was known as a traitor, a thief, and an outcast. But when Jesus saw him, He didn’t see what the crowd saw. Jesus saw a soul capable of real life change.
Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. He was hiding—physically and emotionally. The crowd looked down on him, but Jesus looked up. While everyone else saw a tax collector trying to stay out of sight, Jesus saw a man who was searching for meaning, healing, and spiritual growth.
Psalm 139:7–8 (KJV) reminds us there is nowhere we can go where God is not already present. You cannot hide from Someone who is intentionally looking for you.
Beloved, when the world focuses on your exterior, Jesus looks at your interior. He sees your heart. He sees your longing. He sees your desire for spiritual growth and a better life.
Imagine what Zacchaeus felt every day—the whispers that stopped when he walked by, the eyes that refused to meet his, the invitations that never came. He had money, but he couldn’t buy back his name. He had a house, but it was empty of friends. The weight of rejection can stall spiritual growth and make life change feel impossible.
And yet, when Jesus stopped beneath that tree, He didn’t hesitate. He said, “Today I must stay at your house.” Not “I might.” Not “I could.” “I must.” That is the grace of God in action—stepping toward us when others step away.
1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV) reminds us that while people look at outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
Romans 5:8 (KJV) declares that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Your reputation does not determine God’s response to you. The grace of God creates space for healing, redemption, and true life change.
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) tells us that though our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. When everyone else writes you off, Jesus still knows how to write a new story.
Something incredible happened when Zacchaeus realized how Jesus saw him. His life changed—not gradually, not someday, but that very day. That’s what the grace of God does. It accelerates life change and jumpstarts spiritual growth.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) proclaims that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. All things are become new.
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) assures us that God’s thoughts toward us are thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give us an expected end.
Zacchaeus came down from the tree, but Jesus was already on His way to the house. And that invitation still stands today—for life change, for spiritual growth, and for a deeper experience of the grace of God.
No matter where you’ve been. No matter what others have said about you. No matter what you believe about yourself.
Beloved, Jesus refuses to define you by your worst moment, your loudest critic, or your deepest regret. He sees beyond the label. He sees redemption. He sees destiny.
And He is still in the business of fixing what’s broken—so He can build something better through the grace of God.
