Fan Frenzy

"Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus—the head taxman and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way.

He was a short man; he couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when He came by.”

As you read this account in the Bible, don’t you just wonder about Zacchaeus? We aren’t told why he wanted so desperately to see Jesus. All we know is how he acted. And it was; well, a little crazy.

Could his motivation be found in a contemporary parallel?

From the September 21, Sporting News Today: “2008 Stanley Cup Champion Detroit Red Wings Training Camp…there have been fans climbing trees to catch a glimpse of a Red Wings player golfing…on Saturday, Red Wings fans started arriving at 6:00a.m…fan hysteria…Red Wings-mania that's gripped Hockeytown North…fan frenzy.”

Why? One player gave his view: “It’s 6:30 in the morning…it’s crazy, but it also shows the passion.”

Passion. Desire. Enthusiasm. This is what drove Zacchaeus to run ahead and climb a tree. A glimpse of Jesus fueled his emotion-charged pursuit.

When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up, saying: "Zacchaeus come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." From the frenzied crowd around Him, Jesus welcomed the over-the-top-exuberant-passion of one.

Red Wing hockey-heroes said of their fans, “It’s awesome, we’re just enjoying it.”
Jesus responded to Zacchaeus-the-tree-climber with delight and revealed a desire of His own. He wanted to hangout with Zacchaeus.

Jesus is still ready to come near. Jesus responds to people who are desperate for Him. And you’ll get more than a glimpse. Passionate seekers will hear Jesus say, “I must stay at your house today.”

Oozing Money

It was a case of having too large an offering. Essentially way too much money was coming in.

The leader sent his word out: "Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!"

The official word on the project was: “The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough.” Now, how many times has this happened at your church? Your ministry? How about relating to your household finances?

The leader was Moses. He was building the Tabernacle—a place to meet with and worship God. His problem was having too much.

Too much…I’ve been pondering this lately.

A couple weeks ago my wife and I took a nine-mile spin on our bicycles. We kept finding money as we traveled a combination of rural roads and small-town streets. We each found a quarter, she found a dime, and a penny or two and I found at least one more coin. All from different places along the route. And I even found a misplaced dollar coin after our bike ride.

It doesn’t end there. My wife walks to work and also for recreation. She often takes the same route. Yet usually five days a week she spots coins on the ground. And picks them up.

Is the ground oozing money?

Now tracking down each coin’s story is impossible. But may I suggest? This reflects a carelessness regarding money. Sure it’s a tiny amount. Yet simple math shows us; tinys add up to smalls. Smalls add up to modest amounts. On and on. Until it is possible to arrive at: “Too much.”

Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with very much.”

How much do you want God to trust you with?

I’m a Wimp

“I’m an atheist,” Jim said.

I have a great deal of interest in people’s spiritual concepts.

So asked Jim if I could ask him just one question.

He was open. I said, “So what is your best evidence that there is no God?” He told me he believed in God. From there Jim turned into a what-I-believe spout, flowing with an odd potpourri of firm beliefs.

His central theology was the idea of being born, dying, and coming back again. The concept would aim toward an ever-perfecting human who would eventually be worthy to live with God.

I responded, “I’m a wimp.”

I’m too wimpy too climb this million-step ladder, one life at a time, approaching even near-perfection by my own efforts.

Me? I’m a one-steper. One life. One death. One chance to be right enough to spend eternity with God.

The Bible says, “But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story--no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah (Jesus)…”

Jesus climbed the ladder down to us.

The Bible continues: “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us.”

“Say the welcoming word to God--"Jesus is my Master"--embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation.”

“With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between Him and me!"

Dump Disagreeing

“Come on Rick, there must be something we disagree on,” Dan said.

He had walked over from the church across the street, inviting me to a special series of services. I’ve known Dan for over twenty years.

We were actually having a nice conversation—mainly about the things of God. But Dan kept gently arm wrestling me down on acceptable differences in our beliefs. I either shifted our subject or squirmed from each potential disagreement.

Standing near my mailbox; glancing right, left, and straight ahead, I could see four churches. And if I turned around, I would have been looking at the location of a house church. So, five churches within sight.

The Bible says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel; but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient and in humility…”

I’ve attended four of the churches in our view, including Dan’s. And the fifth, I am familiar with their beliefs. Each is filled with servants of the Lord—followers of Jesus, Christians, part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Yet walls of disagreement between them thwart overall, Jesus-focused effectiveness in the community.

It’s no new revelation, but one of the most significant problems in the church today is a near zealous pursuit of finding fault and quarreling among different churches.

Jesus prayed for us believers hours before going to the Cross. “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their (the Apostle’s) message, that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

Standing right there by the edge of the road, Jesus’ prayer was answered. Dan suggested: “Let’s pray.” We did.

We became one.