Luke 19 : 1 – 10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
As we have all read about this story in the Bible about Zacchaeus the tax collector and it has inspired each one of us somewhere or another when he encounters Lord Jesus and how his entire family is saved and receives salvation.
I want to share the first revelation of my life which I received from the Lord, through his Word and years back, before my marriage as a young boy in my mid twenties, one fine day when I was praying in the prayer room of our church, in my spirit I saw a name flashed before eyes and the name was none other than “Zacchaeus”. The Lord spoke to me and asked me what do you see, and I replied Lord, it’s the name Zacchaeus. Now there was a conversation that took place between me and the Lord as if he was questioning me like a teacher and I was answering him as a student.
The Lord asked me tell me something about Zacchaeus , and because I had read about it as a child and also heard it in from my Sunday school teacher, I knew the story of Zacchaeus (not revelation) very well. As I was narrating the story to the Lord, He happened to stop me certain times and questioned me on certain things. Here I would love to go in detail to narrate that awesome experience of my life as you would enjoy reading it.
Holy Spirit :- Who was Zacchaeus and what did he do to have do to have a glimpse of Jesus
Me :- Lord, Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a rich man of short stature . and when he learned that Lord Jesus was passing by his village, he
climbed on a tall sycamore – fig tree.
Holy Spirit :- very well “Good”, then what took place ?
Me :- As the Lord came closer to the tree, he was excited to see Him, but suddenly the Lord calls name and tells him, Zacchaeus come down, tonight I must stay at your house.
Holy Spirit :- then what happened?
Me:- Now here am wondering in my mind, (why is Lord questioning me as if He is not aware of the story), but I had to humble and answer as I was excited because it was the first time that I was hearing the Lord so clearly. So I replied, that he was very happy and came down from the tree and took Jesus to his house.
Holy Spirit:- did Zacchaeus called out Jesus from the tree top to gain His attention?
Me:- I replied ‘No’
Holy Spirit:- Could the crowd or his height could stop him from climbing the tree?
Me:- I replied ‘No’
Holy Spirit:- Did Jesus see Zacchaeus sitting on the tree from a far distant?
Me:- I replied No’
Holy Spirit:- Exactly my son, I want you to gain that height in my Glory to see Me, when you are on the peak, far above from the crowd, chaos, noise, nothing can stop you from gaining the attention of God. The eyes of the Lord will surely fall on you and you need not even beg or plead of Him.
The restlessness in the heart of Zacchaeus, the excitement about the personality of Jesus among the crowd was so high in Zacchaeus that nothing could stop him from getting a glimpse of Jesus no matter what, neither his short stature, crowd, chaos or his indifferences.
I will come and dine with you when you attain that altitude in the spirit to seek me.
And this was something new for me, as I had never learned from the Lord directly anytime before or read the Word as I was taught by the Lord. Yes dear reader of this blog, let nothing stop us from being in the presence of God. The more we are restless and unstoppable to meet the Lord, the more He will say “Come up higher” and my grace is sufficient for you.
I hope this blog has blessed you and you will be like unstoppable Zacchaeus, as his entire family was saved because of his unknowing passion and nature to seek and meet Jesus.
God bless you.
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