On Top

“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. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:1-10 ESV 

We have all heard someone say someone is "down and out." We have probably used the saying ourselves to refer to people who are having a tough time and need a lift. Churches and other ministries develop programs to reach people who are down on their luck through things like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, community food and clothing ministries, and housing assistance. 

There is another group of people that seem to have it all together. They are the wealthy, well off, and well respected people in terms of their worldly position in life. Some of them suffer with being "lonely at the top." Luke chapter 19 introduces us to a man that describes this better than I ever could. The man I am referring to is Zacchaeus. He was a very wealthy tax collector but also a man that was completely lost and out of touch with God. There are people just like Zacchaeus walking among us today. They seem to have it all together but when the celebration dies down and their day is over, they are completely empty and all alone. 

They may seem unapproachable from a distance, but if you get up close and personal with them it may reveal that they are in desperate need of God's touch. Some, like Zacchaeus, respond to the leading of the Lord with uncommon gratitude. So don't shy away from someone because of their "unapproachable" status. Maybe it will be your attempt at connection with them that will turn into a friendship that leads to them coming to know the Lord, maybe not but if you never try you will never know. 

I have met people that have everything as far as worldly possessions and great wealth but they are some of the saddest and loneliest people you have ever met. I am often reminded when I meet someone like this of what Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" It doesn't matter how much money you have, how big your house is, or what kind of truck you drive, in the end all that matters is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and what you did with the time He gave you. 

We should all strive to stay connected to the good things around us-whether that be your friends and family that have been with you all your life- but we are also to seek out those around us that we can have a positive impact on and share the message of grace, hope and love that Jesus gave us. All it takes is a little courage to send the email or text. All it takes is a little faith to walk across the hall or across the yard. We are put here to share what God has done in our lives. We just need to simply present ourselves and God will use that effort to break down the walls and it may eventually lead to just the type of discussion He wanted it to.