Majoring on Minors

“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

Jesus entered Jericho with souls in mind. Crowds gathered and murmured as the wandering Hebrew passed through town, wondering how close they could get, where would He go, what would He do? Interested only in His personae, curious activities, and disarming words, the big people proved their small, petty thinking by grumbling at Christ’s attention to Zaccheus. They missed the larger point of Christ’s compassion and mercy, His mission to save. Only the small rich tax collector had large enough ambition to seek Jesus Himself.

How petty our outlook and small our lives can become when we stay in the crowd. Without the Lord’s large vision, we can grow narrow in desire and pointed in complaint. We can reduce God to an imagination limited by provincialism, prejudice, and preference, and majoring on minors, miss His point. Jesus goes after, draws out, and transforms those compelled to know Him.

As Lord of the whole world, He piques His children’s awareness and concern for significant truth, relationships, and mission- the majors in His broad kingdom. He saves individuals drastically for grand purpose, and sanctifies them for His broad glory. Instead of being persnickety over minor quabbles and consumed with insignificant opinions, the earnest believer goes after Jesus Himself and how He can multiply their spiritual fruit, develop their reach and influence on the world.

Do I identify more as a grousing member of the crowd, or one who goes the distance to get close to Jesus? What does my observation of Him in His word and world evoke in me- criticism, resistance, demanding my better judgment? Or humbled gratitude, wonder at His marvelous grace, hungry desire to be more like Him? Where has my heart grown hard, legalistic, or judgmental? Am I so intent on minor discomforts and grievances with others that I fail to see God or step back to consider His higher purpose? How can I redirect desire and effort to God’s plan over my own? When we focus on the minor and temporal and neglect the major and eternal, we miss out on many glories of the Lord’s intent in everyday life.

Father, keep me favoring and pursuing Your ways and work, to Your honor.