FAITH CAPSULE: Crowd clouds destiny.
Luke 19:1-10

So many love to call on Jesus but very few are willing to pay the price to invite Him into their house. The price to pay in getting an invitation across to Him is way too much for the majority because of sacrificial demand that is not convenient. Also, there are too many invitation interceptor and they are deliberate weapons to deny anyone’s attempt to invite Jesus into their house. Zacchaeus was a tax collector with every form of limitations that can deny anyone from getting invitation across to Jesus. Tax collectors were hated because they have the reputation of overcharging and they were considered as dishonest people. Besides his status as a tax collector, his stature was also a challenge in his attempt to get his invitation across to Jesus. It is written in Luke 19:3-4, “And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.” Zacchaeus was short and he was in the midst of crowd. Zacchaeus needed to see Jesus because his seeing Jesus would help to deliver his invitation to Jesus. The crowd and his short stature stood between him and Jesus. Just like Zacchaeus, the crowd is all that surrounds you; the crowd is everything that is taking away your time for Jesus and the crowd is all that is clouding you from seeing and to understand the need to spend more time in His presence. The crowd in place does not settle well with a short stature. With the crowd in place and short stature a factor, that puts Jesus in a far location from you. Zacchaeus acknowledged his great dilemma and knew that without making an uncommon move, Jesus would never receive His invitation. As a result he refused to accommodate his dilemmas. “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.” (Luke 19:5-6) Do you sincerely desire to have Jesus invited into your house? Just like Zacchaeus did, all believers can do. By getting away from every representation of a crowd and by looking for a higher ground or place where Jesus is conversant, where He is always passing through. In all Zacchaeus’ running and climbing, his invitation came to Jesus and Jesus became a guest to Zacchaeus.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace that will enable you to give all that it takes to invite Jesus into your house.