“He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” (Luke 19:3-4 NIV)
Zaccheus was the short man in today’s verse. A tax collector, who had accumulated wealth by overtaxing the people, he was not well liked. He had heard about Jesus and wanted to see Him. But he couldn’t see over the crowds. Being a smart man, he realized he needed to get a higher perspective on the situation. He looked around, saw a fig tree he could climb, and up he went. He was willing to do whatever it takes to get a glimpse of Jesus. If you want to see Jesus, you have to do what it takes.
If you want to see Jesus, you have to do what it takes.
In today’s world, we don’t have to climb trees to see Jesus. We have God’s word, written out for us. Stories like Zaccheus’s are there for us to read and learn more about Jesus. As we begin to apply what we learn about Jesus, we’ll begin to see Him moving in our daily lives. We’ll recognize His presence when we receive an unexpected blessing. We’ll understand it’s Him that has protected us from whatever attack we’re under. We’ll begin to see, Jesus is with us in all we do. But first we have to look for Him.
Just like Zaccheus, we have to gain a new perspective. We have to take off the goggles of this world and start looking at it through the eyes of Jesus. We can only do that when we make an effort to spend time with Him, getting to know Him.
My friends that know me personally, know one of my favorite things to do is get coffee with them. I love to sit with them and talk about life. I love hearing what is going on in their lives, being able to pray for them and encourage them. They do the same for me. We have a relationship because we are intentional about building a relationship. We’re intentional about making time for each other. We carve out an hour from our busy schedules to dedicate to each other. If we want to see Jesus, we have to be as intentional in building our relationship with Him as we are with our friends.
Before you turn on the morning news, open God’s word. Let the Scriptures be the first place you get your news in the morning. Fill yourself with God’s promises, God’s wisdom, God’s love. Nothing can compare, nothing can take away from it. If you want to see Jesus, you have to do what it takes.
Question of the Day:
Are you willing to do what it takes to see Jesus?
Further Reading: Joshua 16:1-18:28 NIV, Luke 19:1-27 NIV, Psalm 87:1-7 NIV, Proverbs 13:11 NIV
