00:00You know what? I've been thinking about you all morning, and I want to tell you something that
00:06might just put a smile on your face today. You know, sometimes I think we make faith heavier
00:14than Jesus ever intended it to be. We talk about enormous problems, enormous decisions,
00:22enormous questions about life, and sometimes we forget that Jesus also walked into ordinary
00:29towns, sat down at ordinary tables, ate meals with people, laughed with people, noticed people,
00:39and changed lives in moments that probably didn't look particularly impressive while they were
00:46happening. And there's one story about Jesus that I just absolutely love. There was a man named Zacchaeus.
00:56Now, Zacchaeus had a couple of problems. First, people didn't particularly like him. He was a tax
01:06collector, and tax collectors weren't exactly winning popularity contests in the day. Second,
01:14the Bible tells us that he was short, and one day Jesus was coming through town. Everybody wanted to
01:24see him. Zacchaeus did too. But apparently, when you're short and standing behind a crowd of people
01:32who aren't especially interested in helping you see, your options become somewhat limited.
01:40So Zacchaeus did something that made me smile every time I picture it. This grown man ran ahead of
01:49everybody and climbed a tree. Now, think about that for a second. He's sitting up there on a branch,
01:57probably trying not to look ridiculous, hoping he can at least get a glimpse of Jesus when he walks by.
02:05And then Jesus stops right underneath that tree. Can you imagine Zacchaeus at that moment?
02:14Maybe he's thinking, oh no, he saw me. Jesus looks up and says, essentially,
02:22Zacchaeus, come down. I'm coming to your house today. I just love that. You know, Jesus didn't walk
02:31underneath the tree and say, would somebody please tell that ridiculous man to come down?
02:36He didn't ignore him and he didn't embarrass him. He called him by name. And I think somebody
02:44listening to that needs to hear that today. Jesus notices people, including you. Sometimes life has
02:54a way of making you feel like you're somewhere in the background. Everybody else seems to be moving
03:02forward. Everybody else seems to have things figured out. Everybody else appears to be standing in the
03:11front row while you're somewhere behind the crowd trying to see what God is doing. Maybe you're thinking,
03:19God, I'm still here. Well, he knows. Maybe you've made some mistakes. He knows that too.
03:32Maybe you're carrying something from your past that you're not particularly proud of.
03:38Jesus knew exactly who Zacchaeus was before he ever looked up into that tree. And he still stopped.
03:48Now, that's important because Jesus didn't say, Zacchaeus, straighten out your entire life,
03:55repair your reputation, fix every mistake you've ever made, put on the right clothing, and then maybe
04:03I'll come over to your house. He said, come down. In other words, let's start here. And I think we
04:15sometimes believe we have to become the finished product before God wants anything to do with us.
04:22But Jesus repeatedly showed us something different. He met people where they were. He loved them enough
04:32not to leave them there. And that's exactly what happened to Zacchaeus. You see, that encounter with
04:41Jesus changed him. He started talking about generosity. He started talking about making things right with
04:49people. He started becoming a different man. Notice the order. Jesus came first. Then the transformation
05:00followed. And maybe that's what you need today. Not another reason to beat yourself up. Not another
05:09reminder of everything you haven't accomplished yet. Not another voice telling you how far you still have
05:16to go. Maybe you simply need to remember that Jesus is still willing to stop underneath your tree.
05:25And maybe your tree doesn't look like Zacchaeus's tree. Maybe yours is disappointment. Maybe you're
05:34sitting up in a tree called regret. Maybe it's loneliness. Maybe you've been trying something for years and
05:42wonder whether it's ever going to work out. Maybe you're exhausted. Or maybe things are actually going
05:51pretty well right now and you just needed somebody to remind you to enjoy that for a moment. Because you
06:00are
06:00allowed to smile. You're allowed to enjoy the life God gave you. You're allowed to laugh. You're allowed to have
06:10a
06:10good day without feeling guilty about it. Jesus said in John 10 verse 10 that he came so that people
06:19might
06:19have life and have it abundantly. Now that doesn't mean every day will be easy. Jesus never promised that.
06:30But difficult seasons do not cancel the goodness of God.
06:36God. And a bad chapter doesn't mean you're holding a bad book. I want you to remember that.
06:44You may be somewhere in the middle of your story right now, staring at a page you don't particularly like.
06:53Don't close the book. God is not finished.
06:58Think about Zacchaeus. He probably woke up that morning expecting nothing more than a chance to
07:05see Jesus from a distance. By dinner, Jesus was sitting at his table. That's how quickly life can
07:15change. You can wake up believing today will be ordinary and discover that God had something waiting
07:21for you that you could not see coming. A conversation. An opportunity. An answer. A new friendship.
07:33A moment of clarity. A little bit of courage you didn't have yesterday. Sometimes, friends,
07:42the miracle isn't that every problem suddenly disappears. Sometimes the miracle is simply that
07:49you realize you don't have to face the problem alone. So, here's what I'd like you to do today.
07:57Give yourself permission to expect something good. Not because life owes you something and not because
08:04everything will automatically work out exactly the way you planned. But because you belong to a God who
08:12God who still notices people sitting in trees. A God who sees beyond the crowds. A God who knows your
08:21name.
08:22A God who isn't confused by your past. A God who is not intimidated by your problems. And a God
08:32who can
08:33still surprise you. And if you've been feeling like you're behind everybody else, remember something.
08:42Zacchaeus couldn't see over the crowd either. So, he climbed. And there's a lesson in that.
08:50If the way you hope to get there isn't working, maybe you don't need to quit. Maybe you just need
08:59to find
08:59another tree. Keep going. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep showing up. Keep looking for Jesus.
09:13And while you're doing it, don't forget to smile once in a while. Because somewhere along the way,
09:21you may discover something beautiful. You thought you were looking for Jesus and then you realized
09:28Jesus had already seen you. He knew exactly where you were. He called you by name. And he was not
09:37walking past you. So, come down from that tree. We've got a life to live. And I have a feeling
09:46God isn't finished surprising you yet. My name is Douglas Vandergraaf. And I believe in Jesus Christ.
09:56God bless every single one of you. Every single one. And everyone you love.
10:08Bye-bye.
