I wonder if Zacchaeus was married? If so, I wonder what kind of husband he was? Of course we have no idea, but I think there is a decent chance he was greedy and selfish with his wife just like you would expect from the stereotypical tax man of that day. There’s no way of knowing for sure, but let’s just go with it for a little bit, and assume that Zacchaeus was married and he didn’t have a perfect marriage. (That seems like a safe bet, since no one has a perfect marriage.)
Disruption
Ironically, Jesus may have actually created a little tension in their marriage at first. I’m not sure that his wife would have approved of him climbing the tree, and most wives wouldn’t appreciate their husband bringing a dozen unexpected guests home for dinner. But when Zacchaeus’ wife saw her husband transformed by his encounter with Jesus, I’ll bet that she considered that day the best day of her life. Her husband was a new man!
Whatever It Takes
Here’s what I like about Zacchaeus. He did whatever it took to see Jesus. Tree-climbing was probably not any more socially acceptable for a full-grown man in those days that it is in today’s society. Not only that, it wasn’t like he was wearing gym shorts and a T Shirt. I assume he was wearing his nice, tailored robe with his designer leather sandals. That probably made it a rather un-ladylike spectacle when he was climbing up in that tree.
Willing?
Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to see Jesus? If so, I believe that the temporary awkwardness or embarrassment or inconvenience or expense or even the sacrifice is worth it. I believe that if you get through the distractions and limitations, He will meet you there. Like Zac, we can push through the distractions of this world and the limitations of our genetics and our culture, and He will meet us there. We have to do whatever it takes to push through it. To see Jesus.
Personal
When you do, He’ll come right into your house, so to speak. He’ll get up close and personal. Up in your business. He won’t demand that you change, but I think that you will probably feel the pull to change. I think that He will literally transform you into a different kind of person. The kind of person who leads his wife well. Who honors her. Is patient with her. Is kind to her. Who actually enjoys serving her and looks for ways to make her life better. I’ll bet that if you spend that time with Jesus he will turn you into…Him. After all, He laid His life down for us, and we’re kind of like his Bride.
What About You?
But let’s get to the point. What is standing in between you and Jesus?
For Zacchaeus, it was a lifestyle of greed and being vertically challenged. He conquered the second by climbing a tree and he conquered the first by being transformed into someone generous, with Jesus’ help. What stands in the way for you? Are you too busy with work? Are you too busy with fun? Are you too busy with ministry? What’s getting in the way of you seeing Jesus? Is it a belief system? Maybe you don’t believe that you can know Him or hear His voice. Maybe you don’t even know what’s in the way, and that’s fine. Pursue him. Chase after him. Do whatever it takes to be in his presence. Read His word. Pray. Worship. Invite him to go along. That’s the only way that we can be the husbands that our wives need us to be.
Dig Deep
“OK,” you say. “I’ve done all that. I’ve read the Bible. I pray a lot. I worship. But the Bible seems irrelevant. I feel like I’m talking to the wall. And I don’t really like the music. So what now?”
There’s something else standing in the way. Not a crowd of people. Not short stature. Something else is hindering you. So you go to the Father, and you ask him. “Heavenly Father, what’s getting in the way? What’s getting in the way of me seeing you? What’s getting in the way of seeing Jesus?” If you will pray that prayer every day for 21 days, I’m pretty sure that He will answer you and he will help you find that breakthrough. But, please don’t be discouraged and please don’t be ashamed. That’s what the devil does to keep us from running that last mile of the marathon. He tries to get you to quit and tell yourself that you’re just not that guy. You can be that guy because He is that Guy!
Ask For Directions
If you still aren’t seeing Jesus then, then you need to find someone to help you. Look around and find a guy who you’re pretty sure knows Jesus and loves Jesus. (If you don’t know any guys that fit that description, I’m guessing that either you don’t know the men in your church very well, or you’re not going to the right church.) So find someone who you know talks to Jesus and loves Jesus, and go to them and say “Hey, I want what you have. I want to see Jesus.” It’s as simple as that. If you don’t know who to talk to, you can email me, and I’ll pray for you.
It Isn’t Easy
Praying for 21 days takes discipline, dedication, and a fair amount of humility. Walking up to some guy you don’t know very well and asking them to pray takes a ton of humility and courage and has the potential to be fairly awkward. But let’s look at our man Zacchaeus, who climbed a big tree and probably looked like an idiot. In the end he found that there was nothing better. It was totally worth it. And I think that you’ll find the same.
It Doesn’t Take a Genius
This brings us back to the title and the point. Men, it doesn’t take a genius to be the husband that your wife needs you to be. You just have to be aggressively yielded to God. That is the number 1 thing that my wife needs from me, and it is completely within my reach, no matter my height. I just have to aggressively go find Him, so I can yield to Him while He changes my life.
Please join me in my prayer:
“Jesus, I want to see You, to know You, to hear You. I will do whatever it takes to see You!”
Check out the next post in this series: Your Wife Needs Prayer
