At work, over the daily coffee breaks, a group of us are pondering the question “Where can you meet someone, of the type that you want to meet?”. The group is mainly made up of males in the 35-50 age range, a mixture of singles and married people, all of professional status. The singles amongst the group struggle to meet members of the opposite sex.
Collectively we have formed the opinion that hanging around in pubs is probably not going to lead to a lasting relationship, and going to various night clubs also seems to be unproductive. “Friends of friends” seems to sometimes work, although endless invitations to dinner when one is inevitably match made can prove wearing after a while.
Speed Dating is an attractive proposition, proposing a quick-fix to the whole problem. But those who have tried this form of introduction have found it to be unsatisfying, based as it is on a series of short, brief, chats. And it is most demoralising when, after 30 chats, no one wants to meet you again.
What has shown some success is internet dating. One of our number met his wife across an internet dating site, and is obviously an advocate of this method of introduction. Others have found the succession of “first dates” to be wearisome and demanding. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, with several internet sites offering different mechanisms, and different prices, to effect introductions.
The question remains open….
So how would you go about meeting Jesus?
I have been think and preaching a lot about Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10). He was a tax collector in Roman occupiedIsrael, and would have had a poor reputation amongst the Jewish people. He was based inJerichowhich was a wealthy trading centre, so it was likely that he had a position of some importance. He presumably heard that Jesus would be passing throughJerichoand, since Jesus would have now gained some notoriety, Zacchaeus went to see him.
You can easily visualise the large crowd of people making their way acrossJericho, following Jesus with a mixture of awe and curiosity, much in the same way that we welcome celebrities to our towns today. Unfortunately, Zacchaeus was a small man and couldn’t see over the crowd. Many of us at this stage would go home mumbling that it was too crowded and we couldn’t be bothered, but Zacchaeus didn’t. Instead he formulated a plan where he would go down the route a little and climb a tree from which he would get a good view.
Sure enough, Jesus and the crowd came down the road, and Zacchaeus got his good view.
Zacchaeus probably thought that this would be the end of the story, but Jesus stopped, called him down from the tree by name and promptly went back to Zacchaeus’ house for tea … much to the amazement of the onlookers, and Zacchaeus I guess.
This meeting with Jesus changed Zacchaeus life. He not only paid back those he cheated (four fold), but also gave away half of everything he owned to the poor and probably had an abrupt career change and followed Jesus toJerusalem. I’m sure that was not what he had in mind when he got up that morning.
There is a recurring theme in the Bible that if we have a plan to meet Jesus and enact it, that Jesus will come and meet us, often in a way that we don’t expect. And this is my experience. I have noticed words in a book that have a deeper significance than the writer ever intended. Chance comments have additional layers of meaning and odd thoughts appear unannounced. Occasionally an event will occur that is unexpected and unexplainable, almost miraculous.
I have observed many times that an encounter with Jesus will change lives, sometimes in a small way and sometimes in a grand, Zacchaeus-like way.
Meeting people, and Jesus, sometimes needs a plan …
Mark Timothy
