Overcoming Obstacles by Minister Nicholas C. Christian

 

Overcoming Obstacles

Luke 19:1-10

Triumph Baptist Church

1648 West Hunting Park Ave.

The Sacred Desk

August 17, 2020

The Minister Nicholas C. Christian, M. Div

 

“¹He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ²A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. ⁵When 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.” ⁶So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. ⁷All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” ⁸Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” ⁹Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

In 1910, an American educator, author, and African American leader by the name of Booker Taliaferro Washington would publish his first book titled "Up From Slavery." The book was a bestseller and remained one of the most popular read autobiographies for decades following its release. In Washington's book "Up from Slavery," he delineates the depth of his hard work to a better life of success for him and his family. He discusses the need for Blacks in America to refrain from hating their skin color because of the obstacles they have faced. Instead, Booker calls for Blacks in America to develop the mentality that "Success is not measured so much by the position one has reached in life, as by the obstacles they have overcome while trying to succeed." Booker T. Washington's words in his book are profound. His words ring true because of the powerful truths uniquely woven throughout his quote, but also because of the underlying wisdom that reminds us that regardless of where we are, who we are, where we are going, or who we will be, the obstacles of life are inevitable.

There are all kinds of obstacles in life. There are financial obstacles that threaten to keep us from financial security or economic prosperity, health obstacles that may prevent us from liveliness and energetic activities. There are simple obstacles like fender-benders and road closures that may keep us from traveling where or how we would like to go. These are all obstacles of life that may become realities at some point in our lives instead of hypothetical scenarios. However, by far, the worst obstacle that anyone can experience on this journey called life is an obstacle that would keep them from seeing and experiencing Jesus. That is precisely what happens to Zaccheaus in our text.

Zacchaeus is a chief publican. He is despised among the people, not only because he is a tax collector, but because his riches are likely the result of him taking additional money from the people for himself, and not just for governmental funding. Zaccheaus has accumulated riches and wealth from other people's work and the greed of other tax collectors. Yet, even with this, Zacchaeus finds himself desperately desiring to see a man named Jesus. Zaccheaus had made up his mind that he wanted to get to both see and experience Jesus for himself. And, as the Bible suggests, Jesus just happened to be traveling through Jericho, the same town that Zaccheaus found himself in, at the same time. Simply stated, right at the commencement of this text, we are reminded of God's goodness. And, that goodness is that regardless of where we are, who we are, and how deeply we have sunk into the depth and darkness of sin, there is no place that Jesus will not show up to bring us out. The text says that Jesus showed up in Jericho right around the time Zacchaeus wanted to see and experience Him. However, the Bible would suggest that when Zacchaeus journeyed to see Jesus, he could not get immediately to Him because he was faced with a few obstacles that he would be forced to overcome first.

Position Obstacle

The first obstacle that shows up in the text is found in verse three. The Bible says he (Zacchaeus) tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. In other words, when Zacchaeus attempted to see Jesus, the position of the people surrounding him blocked his view and kept him from seeing Jesus. He found himself amid a crowd of people, and those persons that he was positioned next to, prohibited him from seeing and experiencing Jesus.

I want to suggest to you that there may be some people and some crowds that have been in close proximity or relationship with you, even in public positions near you, that is not doing anything but keeping you from seeing and experiencing Jesus in your life the way He desires. If we are honest with ourselves, many of us will have to admit that there are people who used to be in our lives that are no longer present. Our spiritual growth in relationship with Christ meant our distance and sometimes even our deliverance from relationships with them. The reality is, there are spaces and places that God has called us to that others are simply not invited. Thus, everybody cannot go where you are going. Some people must be left alone and left behind. It may be because they don't have the same focus and drive, or quite possibly, it may not be them at all; it may be you. But, the reality is we are required to take action. And if you and I desire to see and experience Jesus for who He is in our lives, then we have to be willing to separate ourselves from the crowd to strengthen our connection and hear His voice. The Bible says Zacchaeus ran ahead of the crowd. He distanced himself or changed his position so that he could see Jesus and experience Him.

About ten years ago, I attended a J. Cole concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The venue was packed, and everybody in the concert had their phones out, attempting to record J. Cole online and post videos. While at the show, I checked my phone because I was waiting for a call from my father. He was to inform me of whether I had gotten a position that I had applied for in previous weeks. Eventually, the concert went to the intermission. When I looked at my phone, I realized that I had a voicemail telling me to call my father, but no missed call from him. I immediately became perplexed, "How can I have a voicemail, but no missed call from my father?" I wondered. I separated myself from the more massive crowd by stepping outside of the venue to call my father. However, the moment that I stepped outside, and away from the crowd, my phone began to ring. I answered it, and my father informed me that he had been calling, but it kept going to my voicemail. It was then that I realized what the problem had been. I told my father that it was because I was in such a crowded place, surrounded by so many people who were also using their phones, that I could not receive his call. It wasn't until I had separated myself from the crowd, got alone, and in a more connected position, that his call clearly reached me.

Zaccheaus's story reminds us that there are seasons of our lives where we have to separate ourselves from some people and things so that we can hear and discern God. That's what Zaccheaus did in the text, and you and I must do the same.

Condition Obstacle

The next obstacle that shows up in the text is what I call a condition obstacle. That is to say that it is a condition that is the reason why one is unable to see or experience Jesus for who He is. It may very well be a condition you were not responsible for creating, but still hold responsibility for correcting. For example, some conditions we inherit from birth because of our genes, DNA, or parents. The text says Zacchaeus couldn't see over the crowd because he was short. He was not short in stature because of something he did; instead, Zacchaeus was short because of the genetics he inherited from his parents and grandparents. Had Zaccheaus not inherited these genes from his parents, this situation may not have been a problem for him. However, his short stature became an obstacle that kept him from seeing Jesus. Thus, it also became a "condition" that he was responsible for fixing. 

The truth is, Zacchaeus is not the only one that had generational obstacles and battles in his bloodline that kept him from seeing and experiencing Jesus. We all are born in sin and have demons to fight. From sexism, alcoholism, and adultery, to drug abuse, high blood pressure, and obesity, the list is endless. Even how our parents and other family members raised us can create obstacles like racism, explicit bias, and others. In these instances, it is not necessarily our fault that we prescribed to the ideologies of our parents, or the genetic and molecular structures of our lineage, because often, we did not know any better. However, like Zacchaeus, we have to be intentional about taking steps to combat the deficiencies and disadvantages we face and fight to see Jesus despite our condition.

We must not become complacent with the biases and poorly founded ideologies of our parents and upbringings. We mustn't allow the generational curses and traits of our parents to become obstacles that keep us from Jesus. We must do the necessary work of climbing up the "trees" in life that are planted and present to assist us in getting to Jesus. For Zaccheaus, the tree he climbed was a Sycamore tree that helped him fight his short stature. However, for you, maybe the tree you need to climb is Therapy, to help you deal with depression, anxiety, or mental and behavioral health issues. Perhaps the tree you need to climb is Rehab, to help you overcome your drug, food, or pornography addiction. Maybe the tree you need to climb is the Domestic Violence Helpline, to help you find sure solutions and safety for yourself and your family. Lastly, perhaps the tree you need to climb is a commitment to your health and wellness, to lower your blood pressure, regulate your cholesterol, and balance your sugar. This will enable you to combat your biological health issues so you can have an excellent quality of life and honor God with your body.

We all have different issues and obstacles in life that have the propensity to keep us from experiencing the abundant life in Jesus, that He died for us to have. Many times, those obstacles may not even be our fault. However, we must be willing to do the work and take the steps necessary to experience spiritual growth in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus knows all of our obstacles and shortcomings. He will meet us where we are if we make an effort.

The Bible would suggest that Zacchaeus made an effort to see Jesus. He ultimately separated himself from the crowd to address his obstructed view caused by his position and proximity to others, and he climbed a tree to address the "condition" obstacle that he had inherited. However, the truth and the good news of the text remains. The barriers that Zacchaeus faced were never actually removed. The crowd still surrounded Jesus as He traveled, and Zacchaeus was still too short to see Jesus for who He was, absent of the tree he climbed. The Good News is that to Jesus, none of Zaccheus' obstacles mattered. Jesus already knew who Zacchaeus was. Even further, Jesus met Zacchaeus where he was and called him by his name, making all the obstacles Zaccheaus had previously faced, obsolete. 

There was no conversation between Jesus and Zacchaeus before this moment. Zacchaeus did not give Jesus a heads-up that he would be sitting in a sycamore tree. However, Jesus doesn't need you to do everything to get to Him. He's looking for your desire and your effort. Jesus died on an old rugged cross for the very truth that we cannot overcome the obstacles we face without Him. The goodness of our Saviour is that before we had been formed in our mother's womb, God knew us. God doesn't just hear our prayers, but He knows our needs before we even need them. God is so good that He can't see a need and not meet a need. So before you get discouraged by all that you have to overcome, and before you get dismayed by the condition and position you find yourself in, consider the words of the hymn written by Walter Stillman Martin:

Be not dismayed whate'er betide

God will take care of you

Beneath His wings of love abide

God will take care of you

God will take care of you

Through every day, o'er all the way

He will take care of you

God will take care of you

No matter what may be the test

God will take care of you

Lean, weary one, upon His breast

God will take care of you

God will take care of you

Through every day, o'er all the way

He will take care of you

God will take care of you

He will take care of you

God will take care of you