Climb Your Sycamore Tree

This writing began reading and listening to a prophecy given from the Book of Isaiah 9:10- The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.

The sycamore tree awakened me like an alarm, just as if it were magnified with a yellow highlighter in my soul, marking my path to and through another passage of Scripture. Following the flow of things which linked me to the following account in Luke 19:10, I discovered a great truth about really seeing Jesus Christ in and everyday and I hope and pray you will too.

The sycamore is a strong and lofty tree, its branches as seen in the photograph above, are sturdy it depicts branches that can be used for steps in climbing up to the next level, but before the ascent, there must be the expectation of seeing, at the next level of faith. Jesus said that He is the vine and we are the branches. We become likened to a sycamore tree that others can climb as well to see Jesus better. We do travel, from faith to faith, and glory to glory. The branches of the sycamore tree to me are likened figuratively and symbolically to every word of God being great spiritual branches we are climbing limb by limb to reach the place of visibility to see Jesus Christ clearer by every move we make.

Luke 19:1-10,

And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

And, behold, there was a man named Zaccheus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.

And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

This story begins with Jesus entering and passing through Jericho, where there was a man named Zaccheus, who was the chief among the publicans, (tax collectors) and he was rich. The Pharisees and Scribes were notorious for their accusations of Jesus associating with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus always let them know of a certainty that He came to seek and to save the lost. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

In this account Zaccheus was physically seeking to see who Jesus was, but was hindered by the crowd because he was of a little stature the Scripture tells us. We are all little so to speak, as we seek to see Jesus, we being finite and knowing in part. To seek to see and hear Jesus clearly we must climb the rungs of faith, (our sycamore tree). We live life on levels and we arrive in stages. We live from faith to faith, and glory to glory. The faith that allows us to experience glory on or at one level may intensify at the next level of faith. Unlike this illustration of the physical encounter with the Lord, we can only see from the other side of the cross. We cannot climb a sycamore tree as did Zaccheus to get a closer look. We must search the Scriptures to get a clearer vision of Him, and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Him to and through us.

There is a valid and valuable lesson in how Zaccheus ran with a relentless determination to see who Jesus was and to get a clear look at Him for himself, with no opposition or hindrance in his way. He was determined to remove anything that was in the way, out of his way, and not by pushing his way through a crowd. He knew he had to climb up a little higher to get the best view and chose the sycamore tree. We must have the same vigilant approach as he exhibited. We must run and climb the branches to see Jesus for ourselves. The fivefold ministry is likened to branches which allow us to see Jesus a little better than we did before. The main idea today for climbing the sycamore tree is reading and meditating in the Word of God which affords us the capacity to see Jesus for ourselves as individuals and to see Him clearer and clearer.

This story is a reminder of how we individually seek after Jesus, Zaccheus sought Jesus for himself, the Scripture doesn’t suggest that anyone was with him during his quest to see Jesus. We must come to the Lord as an individual as well. During this encounter, Zaccheus’ conscience bothered Him and in the presence of Jesus and he told the Lord that he gave half of his goods to feed the poor, and if he had taken anything from any man by false accusation, he restored them fourfold. He confessed his trespasses to the Lord and in turn Jesus said to him, this day is salvation come to this house.

The crowd murmured and said that the company Jesus kept was that of publicans and sinners. Zaccheus knew that Jesus would be passing that way. In anticipating His arrival, something happened, when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw the man and began to converse with him. Seeking Jesus will bring you into fellowship with Him. He sought Jesus and found Him and Jesus entered into communion with him. Jesus said to him, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house and he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully. Zaccheus was an active man.

There is so much movement and interaction in this account. All of it making a sycamore tree a legend. The movement consisted of running and then climbing the tree to avoid anything that could or would distract him. He anticipated distractions and resolved them by getting up higher to get the view he so desired. For us this is a height and depth only the Word of God and the Spirit of God can deliver. Jesus told His disciples that when the Comforter was come that He would not speak of Himself but of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the only way we have to see Jesus closer and clearer. This is the time, that without a doubt Jesus Christ should be the focus of our faith. As the signs of the time are manifesting just as they were prophesied. There are so many things to distract and detract from who Jesus is. You will need the sycamore tree to see Jesus, just as Zaccheus did, because the mob has grown much larger than in his day. The mob idolatrous observances have increased and how does one deal with that crowd clouding the way? You must have your own sycamore tree and the determination that you only want to see Jesus Christ and nothing and that no one is going to distract and stop you.

Moving right along, distractions are costly because they obscure and block the way. Keep your eyes on Jesus, not on what the mobs and the crowds are doing, and be determined to see Jesus Christ in everyday. It wasn’t a special day, such as the birth, death or resurrection of Christ for Zaccheus, but one thing was for sure, nothing was going to stand in his way of seeing Jesus Christ for himself. Grace and peace to you.