Rise Above the Crowd

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. Luke 18:35-43 NIV

When told to be quiet, he shouted all the more. What if he had listened to them instead? He would have never received his sight! Don’t let peer pressure keep you from encountering Jesus!

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10 NIV

You know what I like about Zacchaeus? Here’s a guy who couldn’t see Jesus because the crowd was in the way, he just couldn’t see past the crowd. But he had enough common sense to separate himself. Luke tells us “he ran ahead.” I’m sure he realized that climbing a tree would make him stand out as different, and possibly bring on ridicule, but he just didn’t care because he wanted to see Jesus. And how did Jesus respond when He saw him alone in that tree? He said, “I must stay at your house today.” Don’t let those around you keep you from encountering Jesus! If you can’t see past the crowd or you don’t have the strength to go against them like the blind man in Luke 18, then separate yourself from them.