NBA Star:  Not exactly

The NBA just started training camp this week.  I am sure you were waiting for that!  But have you ever been around any NBA player?  I bumped into a future NBA player once.  My forehead bumped into his elbow.  Holy cow, these guys are HUGE!  The new Orlando Magic Center is Mohamed Bamba (from the University of TEXAS!!) is 7 feet tall with a wing span of almost 8 feet!  He is one tall dude.

So as you think about NBA players, this story is NOT about someone like them.  This is about a guy who always has to be in the front of group pictures or else no one will see him.  Nowadays, he would be bullied for being vertically challenged.  He is short!

Prayer:  God, teach me more about who You really are.  I want to get to know You.

Grab Your Bible:  Read Luke 19:1-10 at least 2X. (Remember Luke is one of the four Gospels that tell the story of when Jesus walked the earth). Yesterday’s story probably happens just a few minutes before today’s.  Jesus has now entered the city of Jericho.  (This is the same city, now rebuilt, where the walls came “tumblin’ down!”)

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ² A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³ He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

⁵ When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷ All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

⁸ 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.”

⁹ Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus, or Zach for short, would not trying out for center for the Lakers!  He had to climb into a tree to see Jesus because everyone was standing in front of them.  I hate when tall people sit or stand in front of me!  On top of being a short dude, he was hated for being a tax collector.  Doubly chunky!

Yet, Jesus noticed him.  He not only noticed him, He told Zach to get down out of the tree so they could go and eat together.  How cool is that!  No longer invisible, but now Jesus was coming to Zach’s house to hang out!  One of the most unpopular guys now was getting to spend time with Jesus, who was very popular at this time.

Guess what!  Jesus knows where you are.  He sees you in your world.  You may feel invisible or unwanted or even hated, but that is not how Jesus feels about you.  He knows you have failed.  He knows all your sin.  And He STILL loves you and wants a relationship with you.  That is GRACE.

God, invited you to stop observing Jesus.  Get down from the tree and get to know Him.  He loves you just the way you are and He forgives you.

It is time for you to BELIEVE IN Jesus, not just BELIEVE THAT.

Prayer:  God,  thank you for loving me.  Thank you that you want to spend time with me and be my friend.  Thank you for forgiving me my sins and dying on the cross for me.  I trust You.  Be number one in my heart today.