Above the crowd

Jason Nelson

“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus. . . . He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd” (Luke 19:1-3).

This is my favorite Bible story. One reason is that Jesus concludes it by stating his mission in no uncertain terms: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (verse 10). That’s concise enough to pass the T-shirt test. We could all wear tie-dyed T-shirts imprinted with Seek and Save.

Another reason is that Zacchaeus had the same problem every child has: trying to see Jesus over bigger people who are obstructing a clear view of Jesus and his mission. It illustrates our job as parents. To always raise our children to see above the crowd. To always lift them up and elevate their thoughts to the ways of the Lord.

How do we do that? Set the devices aside. Let them climb up in your lap with a big Bible story book that takes two hands to hold. Show them beautiful pictures that almost look real but still leave room for imagination. Point to the sycamore tree, Zacchaeus, and Jesus. Let them repeat the names as you tell them the story until they can tell it to you. Ask a few really important questions. Who did Zacchaeus want to see? Jesus. Why did he climb a tree? So he could see Jesus above the crowd.

Devotion used by permission of Time of Grace®. For more information, visit timeofgrace.org