26th August 2022

I had no idea that there was a dinosaur in the Bible story of Zacchaeus. But there it was – a brontosaurus. I had the privilege of serving the kids at our recent church camp, and for the last session, was on playdough duty with the toddlers. And as they repeated the story they had just been told, I discovered that Jesus apparently climbed the tree, and knocked it down….. not just once, but multiple times….. and then the dinosaur arrived.

Dear me. What a muddle. How does anyone get saved! Charles Spurgeon (somewhere in one of his many books) said that he “believed in the Holy Spirit” – not referring to the dogmatics of the Creed, though he very much did believe in the Holy Spirit in every sense that the Creed presents His divine nature and converting work – but in the sense that, how else can a human heart, that is filled with sin and darkness, possibly be changed?

I was thankful that the Holy Spirit would one day take this story and teach it in the hearts of these little ones. That Jesus really did climb a tree, but not to destroy it, but to give his life upon it for our salvation. And that Jesus still loves to welcome himself to our homes. And that mean and money-loving hearts can be changed and filled with light and contentment and joy. And that dinosaurs did in fact roam the earth, but thankfully for Zacchaeus, not to gobble-up first century tax-collectors.

DM 26^th August 2022