I don’t know about you but when you’re around a group of people, do you sometimes feel like you’re just “one” amongst the crowd? Sometimes as I’m exiting the church and moving through crowd of people towards our car, I think to myself, I wonder if there is anyone here who notices me. I’m not interested in drawing a crowd, but the “little girl” in me wonders if anyone notices my coming and going. Have you ever thought about that for yourself?
A few years ago I was reading in the book of Luke and came across some verses that seemed to shout like a megaphone to my heart. For a few minutes I would like to encourage you as the Lord encouraged me from this episode with the Lord and a small-statured man in the crowd.
Haven’t we all been given “the look?” It may have been from a friend who was indicating you had lipstick on your front teeth or broccoli between them, or a husband indicating “it’s time to go home?” …pointing at his watch with wide eyes.
Luke 19:5embraces “a look” that changed everything!
“And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name.”
Jesus gave a personal, facial expression to a small-statured man nestled in a tree.
In this verse, I was drawn to the words …”He looked.”
“In route to the cross, Jesus was completing His assignment from His Father. He came across a crowd of people. The scripture tells us “Jesus stopped, turned and looked directly at him. In that moment, Zacchaeus was oblivious to the crowd around him.” (Experiencing God Devotional)
We’ve all been there….listening to someone, and so taken up with what they were saying, we lost sight of everyone around us. Well, this is where Zach was at.
These words have been marinating in my mind and heart giving me encouragement in my walk with the Lord, along with the motivating desire to mentor other women.
The first thing I noticed is that Jesus stopped. Hey, He was on His way to the cross. There were crowds of people, but Jesus stopped and turned to look at one man, Zacchaeus who was curious about Jesus.
Jesus knew this man inside out – He knew his heart, his mind, and all that was going on in his life…just as He knows about your life and mine. And Jesus knew that deep within this small-statured man was a lingering curiousity about Him. Curious enough to climb above the crowd to just “look” at Him.
Jesus perceived what Zacchaeus’ inner desire was. Perhaps Zacchaeus was unaware. You know there are people working & living around us in our everyday lives; people like Zacchaeus, who are oblivious to the vacuum in their souls and their need of Christ.
Now the tree was the viewing platform this man took advantage of to get a better look. He didn’t get up into the tree to draw attention to himself. He just wanted somewhere to perch so he could get a good look at this Teacher…that he had heard so much about. There was something winsome & contageous about the Lord that drew out the heart of this man.
God had directed the steps of Zacchaeus (in this crowd), and God was directing the steps of His Son as well – to the very area where both the tree and Zacchaeus were. Just like us…our steps are “ordained of the Lord” too.
Just considering this “tree top encounter” and the “look of Jesus” – I discover it is marvelous and rich with a mentoring love and concern for this curious heart. When their eyes met — their relationship began, and Zacchaeus was never the same.
Let’s look at JESUS’ LOOK………..
Three characteristics come to mind:
First, it was PERSONAL: Jesus noticed this man amidst the crowd of people. Jesus found him because He knew exactly where he was and wanted to relate to him ‘one-on-one.’
He wanted Zach to know he wasn’t just one of the crowd….but “one He loved, and longed to meet his deepest need. This scenario makes alive the reality that every moment of our lives is important before the eyes of the Lord; and that… Jesus delights in every detail of our lives. Psalm 37:23
Secondly, His look was PERSUASIVE: He invited Himself for a cuppa tea. Actually, He invited Himself over to the “tree man’s home” for dinner: but His plan was for a relationship and a friendship that would last forever. This look brought about personal repentance & change in Zacchaeus. Why, because Jesus took an interest in an every-day opportunity.
We all live “oatmeal lives” most of the time. No events that would draw attention in a newspaper…just everyday living. And in the everyday, we have “Divine appointments” waiting to happen as we reach out with a smile, a hug, or a look of approval of an individual….waiting, like Zacchaeus…to be noticed. Perhaps the mailman, garbage collectors, or people we pass on a walk. Let’s keep our eyes open for people in the trees.
Thirdly, His look was PERMANENT: Zacchaeus’ life would be forever changed… never to be the same. He was going to be a “new man” because of the “look of Jesus” toward his life. Jesus would always have a ‘mentoring look’ at this man.
Which highlights the truth that He will mentor us forever….through His Word, our circumstances, and others He brings along the pathway of our life. Those who will walk “with us” for a season helping our hearts to keep trusting the Lord.
Let’s see how these truths might look in the shoe leather of our lives?
JESUS LOOKED AT ZACCHAEUS……..
We need not to just “see people” in our lives, but “notice them, perceive their countenances, their interests, their burdens, their remarks.”
Why? I think it’s so God can use our eyes to “look at them, relate to them, reach out to help them in a need, to smile at them, or just to notice what they do to help us …like the mailman, or the garbage collector (whom I refer to as my sanitation engineer).
Have you ever written a thank you note to your garbage collector and put it in a plastic bag with a muffin and tied to the outside of the can…..to thank him for what he does each week for you? You’ll be amazed at what God can do with a note of encouragement.
JESUS WAS PERSUASIVE WITH ZACCHAEUS……..
Zach knew he was noticed by the Savior. So, in our approach to others do they sense our sensitivity, our gentleness, and our understanding that life can be tough sometimes? People long to be heard….we all have stories don’t we.
Listening to their hurts & hardships many times will create a “unique setting” for sharing heart-to-heart. What a persuasive and winsome way to allow the Lord to ooze from the pores of our lives into theirs. And by His Spirit, create in them a hunger for Him.
JESUS REMAINED WITH ZACCHAEUS……..
We’ll have seasons to walk “alongside” others to hopefully assist them in their journey “with Him or towards Him.” God’s passion is to walk forever with them; but Jesus wants us to invest time with people, in people, and for people. Why? So they get a “glimpse of Him.”
My Utmost for His Highest – John 4:l4
“The water that I shall give him (life & nourishment), will become in him/her a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The picture of our Lord described here is not that of a simple stream of water, but an over-flowing fountain of water (of life & refreshment) springing up into everlasting life.”
The sweetness of your vital relationship to Jesus will flow as generously out of you as it has been given to you.”
Was Jesus saying to stay focused on the Source so that you may be blessed personally? No—you are to focus on the Source so that out of you ‘will flow rivers of living water’ – irrepressible life.” (John 7:38)
We must be INTENTIONAL in our relationship with God (INTIMACY). It is only then we can make an IMPACT FOR GOD.
But we need to be INFECTED BY HIM in order to be CONTAGEOUS WITH HIM. We can only give a cold to someone….if we have it ourselves.
Our daily times with the Lord, reading His word and talking with Him, and allowing Him to speak to us through His word and our circumstances are the oxygen for our outreach.
Intimacy with Jesus will help us in:
– Who we see
– How we see them
– What we see in them
– How we relate to them
– How we respond to them
– How long to relate with them for the purpose of relating God’s love and character to them
May the Lord adjust the lens of our eyes to look at others the way He does:
So we REFLECT His love to others
So we are RELATIONAL in our outreach
So we can BE THE GOSPEL before preaching it
So we can be RELEVANT with His love
So we can be Jesus with skin on – allowing Him to nourish and draw others to Himself
Again I wish to close with this “compass thought:”
After people spend time with you and with me………watching us, listening to us, observing how we relate to them……what will they think of Him?
Our behavior and attitudes will leave an impression of God.
Our “Lord’s look” left a lasting impression on Zacchaeus. I realize that I’m redundant in the following phrase, but it bears repeating.
“People may forget what you teach or what you say, but they
will never forget how you made them feel.” Carl W. Buechner
Cups of Cold Water 