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.”