FAITH CAPSULE: The multitude discourages you, delays you, and denies you from moving forward or rising above challenges.

Luke 19:1-27

Multitude/crowd answers as the agent of hindrance in life.
The multitude/crowd is the agent, a hindrance to getting one stagnated and not arriving at the destination.
What role does the multitude/crowd have in your life? 
Multitude could be a hindrance.
If a multitude is allowed in life, it will prevent one from arriving at the calling of God or to a divine destination.
The multitude will ridicule, discourage you, delay you, and deny you from moving forward or rising above challenges.
One that fails to recognize the representative of a multitude is bound to experience stagnation, the cause of mockery.
To study the story of Zacchaeus and Bartimaeus is to learn from breaking hindrances of the multitude that frequently denies one.
Zacchaeus experienced the case of the multitude as a hindrance
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He was short in stature, and a physical limitation of his was in place to deny him from inviting Jesus into his home. Zacchaeus recognized his limitation but rejected it as an excuse not to seek Jesus diligently for his desire.
Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd because he wanted to see Jesus. 
He was not attempting to join the crowd in knowing about Jesus. 
He wanted to know Jesus.
Zacchaeus wanted to receive Jesus into his house. 
Zacchaeus recognized that there was a need for him to do more than run to see Jesus.
Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to see and receive Jesus. 
What are your efforts to see and be able to receive Jesus? 
Your pastor knowing you and going to church once a week or sleeping in the church is not enough to overcome the crowd in the world of today. 
Luke 19:4-6 records the effort of Zacchaeus to deny the multitude against him not to see and receive Jesus into his house, “So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So, he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.” 
By running ahead with efforts to see and receive, the hindrance will devise other means to deny victory.
Despite the running and effort to overcome the hindrance of the multitude, a complaint was in place against him but Jesus said, “…He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7)
Jesus saw the diligence of a sinner to see Him.
Can you imagine a man of short stature climbing a tree to see and receive Jesus into his house?
The multitude (crowd) could not hinder Zacchaeus from seeing and receiving Jesus into his life.

Prayer for today: Ask God to enable you not to become a victim of a hindrance.