Just Another Face in the Crowd...

The other day, I visited the Korean Folk Museum at Lotte World Mall.  There was this beautiful, intricate replica of a Buddhist temple. I was struck by the beauty of it, but also pierced with sadness. In front of the stunning, white statue, a devout monk prostrated himself again and again. I was struck by how imbalanced this picture was. The monk, so small and fragile in front of the gigantic statute, desperately seeks a connection with his maker. And yet, the object of his prayers sits motionless, eyes closed, nothing more than a hauntingly beautiful piece of stone. Had he been real and breathing, the Buddha would have been too caught up in his own mediation to hear the desperate cry of his faithful follower.

The monk's prayers could not be heard. His soul, just like the psalmist's thousands of years ago, cries out for the living God, and yet he seeks answers in one who is blind and deaf and cannot respond.

I found myself trying not to cry, feeling pain for those who are lost and want nothing more than to find the truth. I found myself thanking Jesus, mumbling prayers under my breath for being the God who sees and hears. He saw an Egyptian slave girl, mistreated and pregnant by her master, and He appeared to her in the desert. He reached out to a fallen women at the well who was too ashamed to go when the other women went in the cool of the day. He is the God who hears us and answers us.

It left me thinking about that glorious day when I met Shaun White, an athlete that I have loved and admired for years. Before he was a gold medalist, I watched a documentary about him and loved him for his easy going attitude and love for the sport. Watching him win the gold was an incredible experience. And meeting him, getting a picture with him was something I will never forget.... I will cherish the day, the memories, the photos, and the poster he signed. Yet... he will forget. Not that day and his great achievement, but he will forget me and the other fans screaming his name. He never knew my name or anything about me.  I was a face in the crowd, another fan to cheer him on. He won't even remember my face, even though for years I have cheered for him.

There was a time in Jesus's day the same thing happened. A  man that no one liked heard about Jesus. He wanted to see Jesus for himself, but he was too short. So he climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of this man that some people considered a savior, others a prophet who could miracles. What was remarkable was that Jesus not only saw the man in the tree and drew attention to him, but he knew his name. He knew all about Zacchaeus. He recognized a greedy, wicked man's desire for something greater than what he had earned for himself. And Jesus, recognizing the soul crying out for the living God, had compassion on him. 

The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil. Therefore, Zacchaeus was an evil man. He didn't just cheat people; he cheated his own people, the Jews.  But that didn't matter to Jesus. All that mattered was that Zacchaeus was looking for truth. He was looking for something more. He didn't make any commitments or promises to Jesus. He simply made an effort. He took a step to see Jesus. He went to a place he heard he would be and hoped to catch a glimpse. And when he didn't, Zacchaeus could have given up. He could have shrugged his shoulders and said, oh well, I tried. But he didn't. He climbed up a tree, because He was so desperate to find the answer to his soul's longing.

It is still true today.  You don't have to visit a temple and prostrate before a stone to find Him. He is everywhere and can be found if we would just look for Him. Sometimes He has tea with people in a dream,  sometimes He appears in burning bushes. For Zacchaeus, he found Jesus by climbing a tree.

 Jesus gave himself on the cross for us. He overcame death. Does it make sense He would go through all that to just ignore us? If we would just take time to look for him and catch a glimpse of Him, He will do the rest. He will rush to us and make Himself known. He isn't indifferent. He is waiting at the well for the thirsty to come get a drink. He wants to give the truth that leaves no thirst and joy that leaves no longing. He wants to answer the cry inside all of us that calls out to know the living God. He isn't a celebrity that has no idea that you exist. He is the God of the universe, and He knows you by name.