Luke 1:1-3
“Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.”
Beloved,
Yesterday, we explained that pressing on is a required movement highly recommended for anyone wishing to lay hold of that which Jesus laid hold of you. Many forms of resistance will arise whenever one is making efforts to press on, every resistance requires a level of boldness, ingenuity, and persistence in the place of prayer. Remember, the goal is to press on toward your high calling. Philippians 4:12-13 says:
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Zacchaeus teaches us precisely how to achieve this. His model teaches you to define your calling; this must be a clear goal you have set for yourself. What do you want people to remember you for when you die.
Zacchaeus had a clear goal in mind: he wanted to see Jesus with his owns eyes. It may have been because he had heard many amazing things about Jesus and he wanted to know, who is this Man that goes about doing incredible and unbelievable things.
In his contemplations to making this goal a reality, Zacchaeus had to also consider his physical limitations – his height. He had a short stature, and he knew he had no advantage when it comes to height. He would be lost in the crowd of other people who wanted to see Jesus and he couldn’t compete with those who had taller statures.
Zacchaeus had to devise a strategy that would give him a fair advantage. He used his foresight and accessible resources to his advantage. He found out ahead of time about the route Jesus would take on His journey and he ran ahead of others to look for a place, a vantage position that would make him see Jesus clearly. He found a tree, an accessible resource that gave him leverage and he climbed that tree. Because of his boldness and ingenuity, He saw Jesus, and Jesus saw him too. And they became friends since then.
In a nutshell:
- Have a clear goal or vision.
- Identify your limitations.
- Uncover creative ways to eliminate your limitations.
- Don’t just be a spectator.
- Be sensitive and responsive to divine demands.
Zacchaeus refused to be defined by his possessions or stature. What we remember him for today was his boldness and ingenuity that led to encounter with Jesus.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
Jesus Feet 2024
