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fulfilled a different purpose because his understanding and talk of God
differed (19). Jesus, on the other hand, epitomized the need for experienc-
ing God. Ellen White speaks of Jesus’ ministry as between the mountain
and the multitude (1892:101). Through worship, Jesus understood God
and God’s mission. Jesus arrived at his missiological praxis based on his
theological reflection of God from those quiet places and times spent with
his Father. He then built on his theological understanding as he engaged
people trapped in sin. He was able to conclude his ministry by praying, “I
have glorified you” (John 17:4). He displayed God's love to the world and
thereby glorified the Father.
The Jewish desire for a Messiah, emboldened their mission to focus
on separateness. The Messiah was to unshackle them from Rome. Jesus
addresses this misconception as he launches his ministry, “Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” His message demonstrates the de-
sire of the people, yet he broadens their understanding of God’s kingdom.
Rather than be entangled in the traditional Jewish teaching, Jesus adds
a caveat—repentance. From the Scriptures available to Jesus, repentance
suggests an appeal to embrace a different way of living. Here Jesus brings
the two concepts of God's kingdom and repentance together. Arguing that
if one was to live as God's child, change is needed. God's kingdom is not
about independence but submission (trust) to the Creator-God. Van Engen
argues that the Bible is a “tapestry of God's action in the world” (1996:40).
That is, it is a display of God's love in action. Jesus understood the Bible
as such and therefore, he could live as one who participated in God's ac-
tion in his 1st-century world. Our urban mission today needs a display of
God's action through human agents.
Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus allowed him to experience the love of
God afresh. It gnawed athim that he was not allowed in the temple, isolated
from family and the wider Jewish community. “Does this mean God has
rejected me?” was Zacchaeus’ concern. He was cut off from religious rites.
However, the God he knew intellectually was experienced differently
through Jesus. Rabbi Jesus entered a relationship with a religiously
ostracized individual. His desire to eat with Zacchaeus is illustrative of
God's desire to be with Zacchaeus. God does not wait for people to make
things right before he allows himself to be associated with the person.
Jesus, a religious teacher, treated him as a person. He was willing to
speak to Zacchaeus the tax collector and not Zacchaeus the irreligious
person. He demonstrated a connection with Zacchaeus. Through this
encounter, Jesus demonstrated that God wanted to be involved in the life
of Zacchaeus. God wanted to engage Zacchaeus as a person. He wanted
Zacchaeus to have healing and to be a son of Abraham—a child of faith
and a friend of God. Jesus’ mission focus was to allow humanity to
experience reunification with a spiritual community and with God. Thus,
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/jams/vol18/iss2/2
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/ 10.3259 (jd si eol18/igiibn Studies 184