"Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see." Children have sung this cute little song in church for decades. We think it is about a short man who could not see Jesus because of all the tall people. However, maybe we have missed the point. Maybe this story is about a group of people who are so self-centered they make it hard for others to come to Jesus.
In this story, good people have laid claim to Jesus. They have treated Him like a first come first serve buffet. Throughout the New Testament, in story after story, we see needy people having to do extraordinary things to reach Jesus. One woman just wanted to touch the hem of His coat, four men tore the roof off a house to bring their friend to Jesus and Zacchaeus climbed a tree just to get a glimpse of Him. Meanwhile, many good people are angry because Jesus has gone outside the walls to help those who need Him the most.
These Bible stories are great. But they are useless if we don't apply them to our lives and our churches. I believe every action of Jesus was designed to make you think. So think.
Ask yourself these questions. What can I change in my life to make it easier for people to see Jesus? What kind of adjustments does my church need to make so people don't have to climb a tree to see Jesus?
The bottom line is this. God never intended for His children to sit satisfied and comfortable on their pews. Jesus said, " I will build my church." But He did not build His church with walls, He built His Church with legs. He did not build His church and say stay, He built His Church and said: " Go".
We serve God best, not when we gather but when we scatter. So let's go and tell the Zacchaeuses of this world that Jesus wants to come to their house today.
Luke19:1-9
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where The Pavement Ends
Email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com
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