God honors
boldness. In Luke 19, when Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd following Jesus to
climb the sycamore tree, he expected to get a better view, not a better life. But
Jesus, seeing his audacity, walked into Zacchaeus’ house and heart. Zacchaeus
collected taxes for the Roman occupiers, keeping for himself whatever he could
extort beyond the Roman levy. Like a Frenchman collaborating with the Nazis during
WWII, he was ostracized. Jesus’ closeness convicted Zacchaeus of his separation
from the community. He vowed to make restitution, thus opening the way to
restoration.
Zacchaeus was bold because he was discontent. He wanted
something he could not get without a risky move. Are we discontent? Are we
content to be discontent? Do we tolerate an unsatisfying job for fear of
change? Do we go through the motions of Christianity without giving our hearts?
Are we happy enough in our ministry? Is there a place where we want to see God’s
power? How can we let our discontent move from crowd-following to risky faith?
Makes me nervous just thinking about climbing a tree, alone,
exposed. But if that boldness is what it takes for Jesus to come close…
Father, send your bold Holy Spirit into our hearts, right
now. Whatever boldness we exert comes from you.