Coming Down

Luke 19:1-6 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, ***come down immediately***. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
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From what must WE come down so that Jesus can stay with us?

Good thought brother..

-Come down the ladder of selfish ambition
-Come down off the pedestal of religious gropings for power
-Come down off the seat of prominence that the Pharisee's coveted
-Come down from the lofty place of spititual pride and asserting one's own correctness
-Come down off the man-made hill of self-promotion that uses the carcasses of the saints to send one aloft

Come down...

Humble yourSELF under the mighty hand of God, that HE may lift you up in due time.

Come down below that Hand.

A joy reading these post !
Food for thought -

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elizabeth

I agree with the point but I do want to ask one thing. Zaccheus climbed the tree to see Jesus not for selfish ambition, he climbed it to catch a glimpse of the Son of God. If he didn't do that he wouldn't have seen Jesus and Jesus wouldn't have seen him (presumably, he's Jesus so who knows)

I know this sounds like I'm being picky or critical but I'm asking to learn, is this lesson accurate based on the story? It's definitely accurate based on other scriptures but I don't see how this passage conveys that.

Hi Tyler-

I agree with the point you are making. I don't fault Zaccheus for wanting to see Jesus even if it meant climbing a tree. There is a lesson there as well.

When I read the story this morning it just struck me when Jesus told Zaccheus to come down immediately so He could stay at his house that day. Obviously if Z had stayed in the tree he would have lost his chance to spend the day with Jesus.

Which made me think- what am I refusing to "come down" from immediately that might interfere with my fellowship with the Lord?

Kevin named a bunch of things that might. Of course there are thousands of other possibilities.

Hi TMK-

It's amazing how much depth there is to the scriptures, isn't it? Amen and thanks for explaining!

"It's amazing how much depth there is to the scriptures, isn't it?"

Absolutely. Not long ago I was reading the parable in Luke 14 and the short phrase "Friend, go up higher" just about floored me.

Hey brethren,

I see in this passage that the humility displayed in the rich man wanting so much to see Jesus that he climbed the tree to see him. There was no coming down from his pride to be with Jesus. He had already given up his pride in climbing the tree just to see Jesus.

Can you just imagine the excitement that he felt within Him that Jesus would notice him and want him to come down immediately so that he could go to his house.

The Bible says that Zacchaeus quickly came down and went with Jesus to his house. There was no hesitation at all. This was not a coming down but a coming up for Zacchaeus. He was recognized by Jesus and Jesus also made him feel special by telling him that he must go and stay at his house.

Blessings to all!

Another interesting aspect of this story (tho slightly off topic) is how it contrasts the "rich" ruler in the preceding chapter Luke 18:18-27 where Zacchaeus didn't dare approach Jesus this man did, apparently quite confident in his own obedience to Mosaic law and his wealthy disposition. Tho in the end he (rich ruler) went away sad for he was unwilling to "come down" from his lofty stature and follow Jesus. From the disciples response in verse 26 one might say that in their minds at the time they had imagined Jesus would make them more like this rich ruler,...
The contrast of the rich rulers self confidence in contrast to Zacchaeus's humility is obvious, just as Zacchaeus's unsolicited willingness to part with his earthly wealth as a work meet with repentance contrasts the rich rulers unwillingness even after Jesus tells him that's what it will take to inherent the eternal life which he sought.
It's fascinating to me how these two stories parallel one another in contrasting two wealthy Jewish men and follow one another in scripture.
It seems consistent with what Jesus is teaching in Luke 18:10-14 where again we have two men contrasted in confidence and humility ~

"It's amazing how much depth there is to the scriptures, isn't it?"

Indeed! And it's wonderful to read about that!

There is one story from Amy Carmichael that speaks about "coming down":
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One morning at breakfast, one of the speakers (at a certain convention) suddendly looked straight across the table at me. And slipping my name into the song, he began to sing very loudly to the tune "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" - only he began with these words:

Have you lost your reputation?
Are you trusting in the Lord?

The whole tableful of people stopped talking instantly and turned their full attention. In the horror of that moment, I missed the next two lines, but the man singing went on ruthlessl, still fixing me with the steady stare of his great blue eyes:

Have you found a full salvation
from what people think and say?
Do you mean to live for Jesus,
let the world say what it may?

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So if we think of coming down as a humiliation - then I think for me it is REPUTATION.

"Christ made himself of no reputation"! Striking! And He had a lot more reputation than any human being. Recently, I also heard in a sermon:

"'But we need to realize that not only his coming down from heaven, but as he walked on earth, He continually emptied Himself until that final moment when He is on the cross. HE'S THE EMPTIEST MAN THAT HAS EVER BEEN! He now has no friends, He now has no clothes, He now has no dignity! Everything that was his was gone!' A tremendous statement! My dear friend, and I want to tell you something: To the degree that we follow the Lord, in these degrees of death will we be happy, we will have joy! It is not the man who keeps himself for himself but the man that empties himself for the glory of God that abounds with the greatest joy."

So... "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." Phil.2:5-7

Losing your name, your reputation for Christ... Have you lost your reputation?

And, you know, you cannot really 'hurt' humble people. Because they are not proud, they have no image to defend and no reputation to fight for. They trust in the Lord and not in themselves. Like sheeps... and yet they are strong because their Sheperd is Almighty!

May we all one day say like Pastor R. Wurmbrand: "Lord, I have no name! Allow me to bear Your Name!" Amen!

*Quotes are from "Ministering to the Lord" by P.Washer and "The Beauty of Nothing" by R. Wurmbrand