There is a big difference between works and grace. The difference is life-changing. But, it’s easy to miss. Fortunately, Jesus tells a parable of a tax collector and Pharisee, which brings the issue starkly into the light.
Can you imagine Danny Devito playing Zacchaeus in a movie? Then you might understand how vertically challenged Zacchaeus was. Yet Zacchaeus throws respect out the window as he shimmies up a tree for just a look at Jesus. What emotion made the rich wealthy chief tax-collector yearn to see Jesus. What was missing from his life? Might it be missing from our lives?