http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor%205:17&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%203:8&version=NIV1984
“Good things come in small packages.” That is how the saying goes. Ask any woman who’s received a diamond and she would probably agree. A couple weeks ago I came upon a ‘small’ story. It’s about the world’s shortest man. That’s right. In an era of 7'+ NBA players the world’s smallest man has garnered some attention of his own.
The man’s name is Chandra Bahadur Dangi. Ironically he lives in Nepal. I say ironically because Nepal is also home to Mt Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. So Nepal has the distinction of having both the world’s highest mountain and the shortest man. Talk about a study in contrasts. Dangi is 72 and has 5 brothers and 2 sisters who are normal-sized. I guess you could say that when Dangi was born he came up a little short! (I can’t help myself!) A couple weeks ago Dangi was officially measured by the Guinness Book of World Records. Dangi’s height? 21 ½ inches. That’s right. Less than 2 feet tall! You can see his actual size next to the frame that certifies his official standing with Guinness. Note, however, that he is squatting in the picture. Dangi is relishing his new-found fame and hopes to travel around the world, bringing attention and pride to his native country of Nepal. Interestingly, Nepal is also home to a former holder of The World’s Shortest Man, Khagnedra Thapa Magar, who held the record until June 2011. Magar, 18 at the time, stood all of 26.4 inches tall.
Of course, on seeing this news story I couldn’t help but think of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho at the time of Jesus. One day Jesus was passing through Jericho and Zacchaeus heard about it. Like everyone else, Zacchaeus wanted to get a glimpse of this great prophet who had performed so many miracles. The problem was that everyone else in Jericho had also heard about Jesus’ arrival. The result was that Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd of people. This may have been a problem for anyone but it was especially a problem for Zacchaeus. We are told that he was short, or small of stature. How short, we aren’t told. I think it’s safe to say that he was taller than Dangi but he was still short enough he couldn’t see Jesus. So Zacchaeus got an idea.
Running down the road in advance of Jesus, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. Now stop and think about that for a moment. Zacchaeus was not just a tax-collector (people who were fairly well-to-do by collecting taxes from their fellow countrymen for the Romans). He was a chief tax collector, meaning that he was over other tax collectors. Which meant that he was even more well-to-do than they were. In other words, Zacchaeus was rich. Filthy rich. And no doubt despised. Despised and hated by his fellow citizens for working for the enemy. And for profiting from it greatly. Now to get to such a position probably required a little time so chances are that Zacchaeus was no young buck. So here’s this rich, middle-aged guy climbing a tree. Doesn’t this strike you odd? I mean rich men don’t climb trees. They are prim and proper. They have a reputation to uphold. I mean, could you see Donald Trump or Ted Turner climbing a tree to get a look at Jesus? I don’t think so. Rich guys don’t do these kind of things. Especially in public. But Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see Jesus. And if it meant looking a little foolish in the process, so be it.
Closer and closer Jesus comes until He walks right next to the tree that Zacchaeus is in. Stopping and looking up at him, Jesus tells Zacchaeus to come down. He would like to have lunch with him at his house. Wow. It’s a wonder that Zacchaeus didn’t fall out of that tree! Hurriedly he scampered down and then led Jesus to his house. That brief encounter with Jesus changed Zacchaeus’ life! He told Jesus that he was going to give half of his possessions to the poor. And that if he had cheated anyone out of anything (a common practice of tax collectors) he would restore it four-fold to them. Once again, wow. This is one of the clearest examples of repentance in the Bible. No qualifying his sin. No justifying it. No excusing it. Zacchaeus knew what he had done wrong. And he was determined to make it right. Even going overboard in the process. That day Zacchaeus lost a lot of wealth. But he gained eternal life. And a great deal of Heavenly wealth.
This is what happens when a person truly meets Jesus. Their life is totally and radically changed. You see it is not the size of the person that matters. It is the size of their heart. And their willingness to humble themselves and repent. So, in what ways are our lives different? What evidence can we point to that we are radically changed? This is our proof that we have truly met Jesus. If we don’t have any, then maybe we really don’t know Him after all?
Lord, I thank you for the incredible changes that You have made in my life. Not only at the moment of conversion but in the years since. I am no longer who I was. I am in the process of becoming who You created me to be. I pray that my life will reflect Your power and inspire others to seek You out as well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Of course, on seeing this news story I couldn’t help but think of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho at the time of Jesus. One day Jesus was passing through Jericho and Zacchaeus heard about it. Like everyone else, Zacchaeus wanted to get a glimpse of this great prophet who had performed so many miracles. The problem was that everyone else in Jericho had also heard about Jesus’ arrival. The result was that Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd of people. This may have been a problem for anyone but it was especially a problem for Zacchaeus. We are told that he was short, or small of stature. How short, we aren’t told. I think it’s safe to say that he was taller than Dangi but he was still short enough he couldn’t see Jesus. So Zacchaeus got an idea.
Running down the road in advance of Jesus, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. Now stop and think about that for a moment. Zacchaeus was not just a tax-collector (people who were fairly well-to-do by collecting taxes from their fellow countrymen for the Romans). He was a chief tax collector, meaning that he was over other tax collectors. Which meant that he was even more well-to-do than they were. In other words, Zacchaeus was rich. Filthy rich. And no doubt despised. Despised and hated by his fellow citizens for working for the enemy. And for profiting from it greatly. Now to get to such a position probably required a little time so chances are that Zacchaeus was no young buck. So here’s this rich, middle-aged guy climbing a tree. Doesn’t this strike you odd? I mean rich men don’t climb trees. They are prim and proper. They have a reputation to uphold. I mean, could you see Donald Trump or Ted Turner climbing a tree to get a look at Jesus? I don’t think so. Rich guys don’t do these kind of things. Especially in public. But Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see Jesus. And if it meant looking a little foolish in the process, so be it.
Closer and closer Jesus comes until He walks right next to the tree that Zacchaeus is in. Stopping and looking up at him, Jesus tells Zacchaeus to come down. He would like to have lunch with him at his house. Wow. It’s a wonder that Zacchaeus didn’t fall out of that tree! Hurriedly he scampered down and then led Jesus to his house. That brief encounter with Jesus changed Zacchaeus’ life! He told Jesus that he was going to give half of his possessions to the poor. And that if he had cheated anyone out of anything (a common practice of tax collectors) he would restore it four-fold to them. Once again, wow. This is one of the clearest examples of repentance in the Bible. No qualifying his sin. No justifying it. No excusing it. Zacchaeus knew what he had done wrong. And he was determined to make it right. Even going overboard in the process. That day Zacchaeus lost a lot of wealth. But he gained eternal life. And a great deal of Heavenly wealth.
This is what happens when a person truly meets Jesus. Their life is totally and radically changed. You see it is not the size of the person that matters. It is the size of their heart. And their willingness to humble themselves and repent. So, in what ways are our lives different? What evidence can we point to that we are radically changed? This is our proof that we have truly met Jesus. If we don’t have any, then maybe we really don’t know Him after all?
Lord, I thank you for the incredible changes that You have made in my life. Not only at the moment of conversion but in the years since. I am no longer who I was. I am in the process of becoming who You created me to be. I pray that my life will reflect Your power and inspire others to seek You out as well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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