Excuses?

If you are looking for a reason why work,labour or effort does not count with God, come with me as we look at the stories of 'blind' Bartimaeus and 'short' Zacchaeus. Two men with varied backgrounds and experiences but with a common need- the touch of the Saviour. That is the fact today- we all need the touch of the Saviour. It doesn't matter how 'good' you have been or how 'sinful' your past was. When you come to the saviour, the entire past is rolled away and a fresh start is granted.
The blind man had nobody to help him see so he begged along the road. He must have heard that someone called Jesus was going about doing good but he had no means to travel. Then one day,that Jesus was leaving Jericho town and the blind man heard it was Jesus. He began to shout. People around him asked him to shut up, afterall, Jesus couldn't be bothered with one out of the millions of blind people there. The man raised the volume and intensity of the shout. That is persistence,faith in action. It does not listen to popular opinion,neither does it conform to acceptable behaviour. It is unusual faith that gets attention and that is what both men got. Zacchaeus was short and hated by all because he was a tax-collector. He had no friends, no sympathy but he had a plenty of heart. He heard Jesus was passing by but here he was, no friend, no height, no political clout that could command Jesus' attention. For both men, they did something that God could bless as their faith in action. For Bartimaeus, it was increased,annoying shouting; for Zacchaeus, it was climbing a tree. For both men, Jesus stopped the entire crowd with him and addressed them personally, meeting their needs and giving them Life.
If we rely on people's opinions, we will miss the call of God for our lives. People seem to have a good opinion about what you can do or must not do, but in the eventual analysis, what people think isn't as important as what your Creator thinks. The same people who asked Bartimaeus to shut up were the ones who told him: be of good comfort. Arise, he calls you. While Jesus was giving life to Zacchaeus, people with Jesus were still glorying in his past,calling him a sinner. Zacchaeus had moved beyond his past and had received life.
One big lesson: Do not assume that all the people you see with you on this journey to heaven believe in the journey. Some are there because of friends,some are there because they need a quick-fix solution to their problems. So many people were pressing on Jesus until the woman with the issue of blood reached out to touch. Many were touching him but only one reached out in faith.
Don't put your destiny in the hands of a created being like yourself. Don't let popular opinion keep you from reaching out in faith to touch Jesus. He has all you need and all you could ever desire. Man can only lift you as high as his mortal arms will allow. Let God's everlasting arms do for you what no mortal man can do.
His season of favour is here.