Because he was a student of people, Jesus had no one pattern for
dealing with them. He had a consistent message - of salvation and
God's kingdom. He also repeated a number of his sayings and parables.
But a quick survey of the way he talked to individuals shows a
communicator who tailored his approach to each person. To Nicodemus,
the ruler who came to him by night, he said, 'You must be born
again' (John 3:3,7). As far as we know, he never said exactly those
words to anyone else. When he met the Samaritan woman by the well, he
promised her 'living water' (John 4:10). She was the only one to
receive that promise. When a rich young man came asking how he could
inherit eternal life, Jesus did not offer him living water. He told
him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor and follow him
(Mark 10:17-23). Zacchaeus, the little man who climbed up in a tree to
see Jesus, was also rich. But his lust for money must have come out of
a deep sense of inferiority, so Jesus did not tell him to sell
everything. Instead, he invited himself to Zacchaeus' house. Zacchaeus
was so overwhelmed that Jesus would come to his house, that he
spontaneously gave 50% of his capital to the poor (Luke 19:1-10). New
birth. Living water. Eternal life. Salvation. That is the message
Jesus wanted to get across. But just as a sailor sails around an
island until he spots the best place to beach his boat, so Jesus
studied people until he knew the best way to deliver that message to
them.
Jesus: The Transforming Leader.
By Leighton Ford.
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