Don’t Make People Climb a Tree to See Jesus
“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. Still, 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-served buffet. So, 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. Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to get a glimpse of Him. Meanwhile, many good people are angry. They are upset because Jesus has gone outside the walls. He is helping those who need Him the most.
These Bible stories are great. However they are useless if we don’t apply them to our lives and churches. I believe every action of Jesus was designed to make you think. So think.
Ask yourself these questions. What can I change to make it easier for people to see Jesus? What adjustments does my church need to make? We want to ensure 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 Zacchaeus’s of this world that Jesus wants to come to their house today.
From the Bible
“Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.
But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.””
Luke 19:1-10 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.19.1-10.NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com
Don’t Make People Climb a Tree to See Jesus: Lesson from Zacchaeus explores the encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus, emphasizing the transformative power of salvation and the purpose of Jesus’ mission.
great challenge to me – like complaining about someone cutting grass on Sunday but never offering to help.