Daily Dose #75
WHAT'S YOUR CROWD?
LUKE 19:1–10 (ESV)
“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.”
The crowd plays an important role in the story of Zacchaeus. Luke tells us that Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but “on account of the crowd he could not.” The very thing standing between him and a clearer view of Christ was not a lack of desire, a lack of opportunity, or even a lack of effort. It was the crowd.
When we read this account, it is easy to focus entirely on Zacchaeus climbing the tree. Yet before he ever climbed, he had to make a decision. Was he going to allow the crowd to determine what happened next, or was he going to find a way to see Jesus for himself?
That question is just as relevant today.
The crowd is not always made up of people. Sometimes the crowd is made up of opinions, expectations, distractions, pressures, fears, and influences that constantly compete for our attention. The world is full of voices telling us what to believe, how to think, what success looks like, and how we should live. If we are not careful, those voices can become so loud that they drown out the voice of God.
One of the dangers of a crowd is that it can influence our direction without us even realising it. People naturally tend to move with the crowd, think like the crowd, and follow the crowd. Yet throughout Scripture, God often calls His people to walk a different path. Following Christ has never been about blending into the crowd. It has always been about faithfully following Him.
This is why ROMANS 12:2 (ESV) says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” The Christian life is not about allowing the culture around us to shape our thinking. It is about allowing God's truth to shape our thinking.
What makes Zacchaeus stand out is that he refused to stay where the crowd was. He was willing to step outside of what was comfortable, ignore what others might think, and do whatever was necessary to see Jesus. A wealthy and respected man climbing a tree would have looked foolish to many people, but Zacchaeus cared more about seeing Christ than protecting his reputation.
The crowd around Jesus that day was physically close to Him, yet many people in that crowd simply watched Him pass by. Zacchaeus experienced something different because he responded personally. He was not content to stay in the crowd. He wanted an encounter with Jesus.
The same challenge exists for believers today. It is possible to be around Christian things, attend church, listen to sermons, and know about Jesus while still allowing other voices to shape our lives more than His voice. God has not called us to simply be part of a crowd. He has called us into a relationship with His Son.
The story reaches its climax when Jesus stops, looks up, and calls Zacchaeus by name. LUKE 19:5 (ESV) says, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” What Zacchaeus discovered is that while he was trying to see Jesus, Jesus already saw him.
The question is not whether there are crowds competing for your attention. The question is whether those crowds are helping you move toward Christ or pulling your focus away from Him.
Who is influencing your thinking?
What voices are shaping your decisions?
What crowd are you following?
The people who grow closest to Jesus are rarely those who simply follow the crowd. They are the people who make the daily decision to follow Christ, even when it means walking a different path.