Good morning ever-ready people

One little phrase in a verse leapt out at me.

Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

It doesn’t sound too exciting just like that but I knew there was something here. When you read what comes next it speaks volumes for our lives.

Luke 19:1-5 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to Him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today.”

Here’s Jesus just passing through a place yet he is listening to the Holy Spirit and is ready to meet needs and change plans because of His love for people. Jesus never missed an opportunity.

Jesus sees a man in (above) a crowd and He called him by name. This is a word of knowledge and shows Jesus was listening to the Holy Spirit even when He was only passing through a place. Are we always listening even when we are not “ministering”?

He saw Zacchaeus and changed His plans so that He could meet his needs. The verses go from ‘passing through’ to “I must stay at your house today.” You can read the result of this detour in verses 6-10