Have you ever felt like you just don’t measure up, like you fall short of other’s expectations? Maybe you’ve been looked down upon, or just simply overlooked? Or maybe your past failures and shortcomings block any hope of redemption? If so, then you will relate to Zacchaeus.
In Luke 19:1-10 we are introduced to Zacchaeus, a person who struggled to measure up his whole life. His short stature was a clear identifier of his “less than” status. I imagine he was teased as a child, ignored as a teen and dismissed as an adult. Maybe that’s what led Zacchaeus to become a tax collector for the Roman government.
Perhaps taking from others made him feel powerful and being rich made him feel valuable. Maybe it’s what drove him to become a “chief tax collector.” Either way, it would have only resulted in a cycle of rejection and alienation. His fellow Jews would have resented him for capitalizing on their hardship and rejected him for collaborating with their oppressors.
Luke also tells us that Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus. But, he had no friends in the crowd that would let him through and he was too short to see over everyone’s heads. So he ran ahead down the road and climbed a tree so he could catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by.
But, when Jesus came to the tree He didn’t pass by Zacchaeus. He stopped. He looked up. He called Zacchaeus by name and then invited him into a transformational relationship. Even though Zacchaeus’ shortcomings kept him from seeing Jesus, they didn’t keep Jesus from seeing him–a person desperate for love and acceptance!
Following one, life-altering encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus discovered that value isn’t measured by what you take, but by what you give. He learned that authentic power is rooted, not in tearing others down, but in lifting them up
So, if you feel like you just don’t measure up today, remember that Jesus sees you, knows you by name and is calling you to engage Him in a life-transforming cycle of value and significance.
In Luke 19:1-10 we are introduced to Zacchaeus, a person who struggled to measure up his whole life. His short stature was a clear identifier of his “less than” status. I imagine he was teased as a child, ignored as a teen and dismissed as an adult. Maybe that’s what led Zacchaeus to become a tax collector for the Roman government.
Perhaps taking from others made him feel powerful and being rich made him feel valuable. Maybe it’s what drove him to become a “chief tax collector.” Either way, it would have only resulted in a cycle of rejection and alienation. His fellow Jews would have resented him for capitalizing on their hardship and rejected him for collaborating with their oppressors.
Luke also tells us that Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus. But, he had no friends in the crowd that would let him through and he was too short to see over everyone’s heads. So he ran ahead down the road and climbed a tree so he could catch a glimpse of Jesus as He passed by.
But, when Jesus came to the tree He didn’t pass by Zacchaeus. He stopped. He looked up. He called Zacchaeus by name and then invited him into a transformational relationship. Even though Zacchaeus’ shortcomings kept him from seeing Jesus, they didn’t keep Jesus from seeing him–a person desperate for love and acceptance!
Following one, life-altering encounter with Jesus, Zacchaeus discovered that value isn’t measured by what you take, but by what you give. He learned that authentic power is rooted, not in tearing others down, but in lifting them up
So, if you feel like you just don’t measure up today, remember that Jesus sees you, knows you by name and is calling you to engage Him in a life-transforming cycle of value and significance.
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