The short Man

Oliver chitanaka
ATY
5/15/2018
 The Short Man- Luke 19v1-5

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the
publicans, and he was rich.

And he sought TO SEE JESUS who he was; and could not for the press, because he was
little of stature.

And he ran before, AND CLIMBED UP INTO A SYCAMORE to see him: for he was to
PASS THAT WAY.

And when JESUS to the place, HE LOOKED UP, and saw him, and said unto him,
Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

Luke 19v1-5

It is wisdom to know that behind every revolution is a revelation and every revelation is a
product of mediation. On the 15th of May I got so much interested in wanting to know what
was really behind the encounter zacchaeus had with Jesus. And by the reliable and helping
hand of God something was dropped in my spirit. It is of no doubt that these lessons I learnt
would be of a blessing to you as you read through carefully.

It is known that the secrets of men are in their stories henceforth lets go through zacchaeus’
story and note what agitated this beautiful encounter.

I’m certain of this one thing that if you will take heed of the secrets about this encounter and
key into them without hesitation, it will be a must for Jesus to abide in your house. If you do
what they do you are bound to experience what they experience. Henceforth, I urge you to
read this piece with an expectant heart.

……he sought to see Jesus who He was…-v3

He tried to look at Jesus as other bible translations put it. The man wanted to see Jesus
not any other thing or person. His eyes were fixed on Jesus not the crowd or His
disciples. This whole part of verse 3 brings to light what I believe we are all familiar
with today and that’s FOCUS. He had one goal and one purpose. Zaccheus was a
short man with a single eye; looking at one thing and one thing only. It is men and
women of focus that end up seen much of their expectation, henceforth it is required
of us to focus on Jesus and Jesus only if we are going to see much of Him in our
endeavors. Jesus said if your eye be single your whole body will be full of light.

…..If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light
Matthew 6v22

It has always been Gods design that we be a people of a single eye in our pursuit of
Him. One of the reasons we believers don’t see much of God is simply because we
look everywhere our eye is never single.
It is in pretty plain language that the short man sought to see Jesus not any other thing.
One eye is here one eye is there; we just never set our eyes fully on Him. It doesn’t
matter who you are, the color of your skin, where you come from your height is
unnecessary either if only you will get your eyes fixed on Him alone you will see
Him. God is not a respecter of persons your focus will determine whether you
encounter him or not. Develop a single eye in your pursuit of Him. Do not focus on
the crowd let your focus be on the master of the universe and He shall be a visitor in
your house. One thing I am dead sure of is that if we could lose focus of any other
thing and be fixed on Him, He would abide in our houses as He did in the short man’s
house for he is still the same Jesus.
If you look and look deeply in this encounter you will realize that zacchaeus had so
much around that would have turned out to be His focus points. One of the things that
would destruct him would be money zacchaeus wasn’t a poor patriarch he was loaded
for he was a tax collector, so money would have also hindered his encounter with the
Lord if it turned out that he fixed his eyes on the riches. Now you and I must
understand that money is not a problem, for anointing without money is annoyance,
money becomes the problem the moment it becomes one’s focus point.
We live in times where they are so many destructions around and no place on earth is
destruction free. Everywhere you turn you will realize that they is always something
to change you focus point. They are so many voices out there wanting to hinder saints
from a having a consistence pursuit of their faith. It is for this reason Elijah put his
head between his knees when he was praying for the rains to come back to town after
three years six and months of its absence (1 Kings 18v42). His ears where between his
knees more like he didn’t want hear any external voices around. The man wanted to
keep miles away from any other voices around and hearken to the voice of God. He
wanted to make sure it was between him and God and no one else. They are so many
voices out there but we have to put our heads between our knees and focus on Jesus.

Secondly, his own height would have been a hindrance if he had made it his focus
point. The fact that he was the short man in town would lead him to complaints and
comparing himself to people taller than he was. One of the reasons why the Holy
Ghost inspired the writer of the gospel of Luke to talk about his height is because God
wanted to put it in pretty plain language that you are wonderfully and fearfully made
just the way you are and you the apple of His eye. And because of that nothing can
stop you from having an encounter with Jesus. In short God makes it clear that Jesus
came for everybody the short the tall, the light skinned the dark skinned and Jews and
gentiles. Let nothing stop you from hungering for more of God you are fearfully and
wonderfully made let no man look down on you, you don’t need any qualification
Jesus qualifies his own henceforth keep on pushing and travailing soon and very soon
He will show up like He did to Zacchaeus. It appears to me that where you fix your
eyes determines how far you will go. Every time your eyes are off Jesus you place a
limit on your destiny. Fix your eyes on Jesus and go beyond limits.

He climbed up a sycamore tree v4a

He climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus. A sycamore is that place in your life that
gives you a clear vision of Jesus. I believe there were other trees around but it is a
sycamore tree he climbed, this is so important. We must understand that not every
tree is a sycamore. Not every tree will give you a clear vision of the messiah.

Every believer needs a sycamore; it is failure to have one that has ended many as
commoners. If you are going to have a full realization of your potential in the faith
you will need people who are to take up the function of a sycamore by pulling you up
to the places where you would not reach on your own. A sycamore is a representation
of people who help you get there and not be jealousy of you after you have acquired it.
People whose aim is to make sure you are getting there regardless of whether you
surpass their level or not, they just never aim at competing with you. People like
Elijah who will not be against you getting double of what they posses. People like
Moses who will groom you in the fear of the Lord until you can command the sun to
stand still. Therefore it is so vital that we ask God to send such people in our way,
people who will be genuine sycamores. One thing am dead sure of is that He will
surely do just as He did send Ananias to Paul, and Philip to the Ethiopian Eunuch for
He has not changed at all.

There are some places which will never give you a clear vision of Jesus so it is
wisdom to keep miles away from such places in order to continue your journey in
pursuit of Jesus. This could be friends, workmates, classmates who are never in for
Christ, anything about Jesus turns them off. They will never Just see you make
progress in your search for Jehovah such colleagues should be cut off they are not a
sycamore to your fruitful life and they are not going to help you get there. Remember
that it is bad company that corrupts good morals. It is my prayer that God would open
our eyes to see that not every tree is a sycamore. Any relationship that never draws
you nearer to God is not a sycamore and you have the power to cut down such
relationships. If in you God has deposited power to raise the dead then am pretty sure
in you lies the power to bring to an end every relationship that won’t let you go
further.
Any relationship that is not Christ centered is not a sycamore.
 He ran-v4a

This is one other amazing thing the short man did; he ran. The man was bound and
determined to see Jesus. When you are thirst for an encounter with the messiah it
will show by the actions you take. It appears to me that he was all in for it and
nothing would stop him.
The body of Christ is filled with people who are loaded, people who have so much to
bless the world with. And it’s so unfortunate that many are not willing to run toward
their goals and visions in order to see them accomplished. There so many visionaries
than missionaries because most visionaries are not willing to run after what God has
placed on their hearts.
Only those who run after their vision will ever see them accomplished. And those
who are ever sleeping will never have anything to show. We need to move out of our
comfort zones if we are going to have proofs for our faith. Maybe they were other
people who desired to see Christ on this very day and did nothing about it. But here is
a man agitated to run and climb a tree. God has placed a vision on your heart what are
you doing with it? Are you running with it or sleeping over it?
A vision becomes a reality when men decide to run with it. ( Hab 2v2)

Believers who sleep today will never have anything to show for their faith tomorrow.
You don’t sleep to acquire it, you run for it to see it accomplished.

…..for He was to pass that WAY-v4b

For he was to pass that way, the only reason zacchaeus saw Jesus on this specific day
is simply because he was in a place or on a path where Jesus would pass. It is of no
doubt that the short man wouldn’t have had this amazing encounter if found himself
anywhere apart from where he was. What I am seen here is that not every way is
used by God. You and I must position ourselves in way Christ would be found
passing. Many times we expect encounters from God when we are not standing on the
paths usable to Jesus. As it is known that as long one is not on the right path they will
never reach their destinations. So it is wisdom for you and I to stay away from any
path that would not cause us to have an encounter with the messiah, it doesn’t matter
how long you stay on the wrong path as long it’s not the right one your encounter
with Him is not sure. We should stay away from habits like gossip and the likes Christ
doesn’t pass that way. Let us catch the little foxes before they can hinder our
encounter with Jesus (Songs of songs 2v15).
Christ is found passing in places where you and I decide to be watchmen. He is found
passing in places where we become prayerful and not playful. He dwells where people
have a genuine desire for Him and express it in their cries to Him. He is always found
passing where we are found meditating on His word. Places where His word is
exhorted above anything else. Places where people are expecting something from Him;
are ways His found passing.
 And when Jesus came to the place He looked up and saw him-v5

On the third day of meditation, the Holy spirit asked me a question that blew my mind;
do you notice that it was zachcaeus who was pressing in to see Jesus but in the end
it was Jesus who looked up to see him(zacchaeus)?

In answering He said “the word says draw close to me and I will draw close
unto you”. What this implies is that the short man did the drawing close, it
was Jesus’ turn to do His part; looking up to see zacchaeus. God has given us
a role to play and everyone who keys in doing their part as commanded from
scripture get to see much of Him. Almost everyone in church today wants to
have an encounter with Jesus but not everyone is willing to do their part and
live the rest to God. Let’s do our part and He will do His for He is not the user
of men.
Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you…
James 4v8
Secondly, Zacchaeus honored God with a strong desire to see His only
begotten son-JESUS. As we saw it that the man was all in for it and nothing
would stop him. It is this very act that moved God so much and I can almost
hear Him (God) saying “man has honored me and as my word make it clear I
must honor him in return”.
Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour
1 Samuel 2v30
I usually picture zaccheaus sitting in the tree smiling and relaxing and saying I
have done my part let’s see if this Man will be true to His word. And Jesus
being the Man that He is, that He obeys His own rules; He does the needful by
looking up to see Zacchaeus. When you and I do as he commands in scripture
it will be a must for Him to abide in our situations. Go forth and secure your
encounter with the master of the universe-Jesus!
…..for to day I must abide at thy house.
Luke 19v5
God be God,
Be blessed.