Getting Above The Crowd

Discipleship Group Questions for October 31, 2004

Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 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.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 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.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Questions for Reflection:

1. In our Gospel reading from the Book of Luke chapter 19 verses 1 through 10 we read about a short man by the name of Zacchaeus and in this story we see a man separated from God and his countrymen by the choices he had made and now he is trying to find his way back? How did he do this? He wanted to see who this Jesus was. For some reason which is not clear Zacchaeus sought Jesus out. He had heard that this Jesus was coming to town and something in his heart quickened. I don’t think he knew what this was all about but in some strange way he knew one thing and one thing only – He had to meet this Jesus! Do you think that he came to this conclusion on his own? Please discuss.

2. As you and I grow into becoming great disciples and great disciplers we can make one very very important assumption and that is that God is inexorably drawing us to Himself and others to Himself through us. Please discuss this assumption.

3. There are two keys to our understanding what is happening here and what it means for us:

· The one has to do with us - to have the “eyes of Christ” so that we can see them, and the “heart of Christ” to reach out in His love!

· The other is that the Zacchaeus’ of this world i.e., those being drawn by God, must not be too ashamed to climb the sycamore tree.

Please discuss.

4. We must make one clear assumption here and that is that God is drawing people into His Kingdom and they, in turn, are trying to look above the crowd to see Him!

Are you “just one of the crowd?” Indeed, are you one of the crowd who are actually getting in the way of the Zachaeus’ seeing our Lord?

Are you “just one of the crowd” or are you, like Jesus, “looking for the ones drawn?” Looking for that look and when you see it you see one who is about to become your brother or sister. Please discuss.

4. Please discuss the following:

First – God is always and ever the “Initiator!” He’s always coming to people and drawing them to Himself!

Second – He invites us to look with Him for the Zacchaeus’ around us and then to do as Jesus did – to reach out to them – to go into their homes and bless them!

Third – our job is to help the Zacchaeus’ of this world to be able to get above the crowd so that they can see Jesus!