Episode 103: Are You Ready to Climb a Tree?
There are times in life when it feels like a tug-of-war in our brains. The world and worries pull one way, while hope and faith pull another way. When you feel like you’re losing the battlefield of the mind, you may need to get a new view of Jesus. If your brain, heart, expectations, dreams, and hopes feel bruised, you need a fresh view of Jesus to reset your mindset.
There’s a man in scripture who got a new view of Jesus. It was such a radical view that it changed the entire way he thought and lived.
In Luke 19:1-5 we see Jesus traveling through Jericho as a crowd gathered to see Him walk through the streets. He was well-known by now and people wanted to see Him. One man named Zaccheus wanted to see him too, but he was so short that even jumping up to look over people’s shoulders, wouldn’t bring him in view of Jesus. So, he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed up a tree for a better view. His small stature was probably something he was embarrassed of most of his life. As a tax-collector he had a good job and place within the government, but his corrupt business practices didn’t make him many friends. Being short must also have seemed like a handicap to him.
New View #1: Sometimes what we think is a setback or hindrance, is the very thing that gets us in front of Jesus. If this man had been a normal height, Jesus may have never stopped because Zaccheus wouldn’t have made the extra effort to see Him.
When Jesus came to the spot under the tree, he stopped and told Zaccheus to come down quickly, for today, He must stay at his home.
New View #2: Jesus is inviting us to this now! He wants to visit and stay in our home (our life and our heart.) Will we invite Him in or keep Him on the front porch?
All of us have rooms in our life that we either allow Jesus access to, or we keep “off-limits” to anyone…even our Lord. When we give Him full access, that’s when we see miracles spill forth.
Verses 6-10 say that when the people saw that Jesus went with Zaccheus, they all grumbled.
New View #3: When we are encountering Jesus, we must ignore what “they” say and focus on what HE says. This is where Zaccheus put his focus and his entire world shifted and changed.
GUTSY FAITH CHALLENGE:
Do YOU need a new view of Jesus? Are you willing to climb to a new place to see Him? The shift in view may pull you out of a mindset or bleak way of thinking that you’ve been stuck in!
Jesus stops and sees YOU! He notices when you make an effort. Can you let Him into the rooms of your heart so you can be free and whole?
Zaccheus is now an evangelist rather than a thief. Jesus will give you new purpose and assurance when you try to see him in a fresh and clear way.
GUTSY FAITH RESOURCES:
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