“He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.”
Luke 19:3

When I was studying the story of Zacchaeus this summer, a small but specific detail jumped out at me. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but he couldn’t because of the crowd.

That made me think about another story. Four friends carry a paralyzed man to Jesus, but when they arrive, they cannot get him through the door because of the crowd. So they climb onto the roof, tear a hole in it, and lower their friend down to Jesus.

In both stories, people want to get to Jesus, and the people already gathered around Jesus are making it harder.

That is an uncomfortable thought.

Because I usually imagine myself as someone helping people encounter Jesus. But what if, without realizing it, I sometimes become part of the crowd blocking their view?

I can become so focused on my own experience, my own needs, and even getting my own family to church that I stop noticing the person trying to find their way in.

Take something as simple as parking. My instinct is to circle the lot looking for the closest available space. But what if hospitality means intentionally parking farther away so that someone else has one less obstacle between them and Jesus?

Parking is a small thing. But that’s the point.

Following Jesus gradually reorders every small part of us. We begin asking a different question. Not simply, “Am I getting what I need?” but, “How can I help someone else find their way to Jesus?”

On the pulpit at Waypoint, I had the words of John 12:21 inscribed: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.”

I wanted those words there because every time I preach, I need the reminder. People aren’t there primarily to be entertained, impressed, or even to see me. They come carrying the same request: We would like to see Jesus.

But that reminder isn’t just for preachers, it is for all of us. The crowd around Jesus should never become the obstacle to Jesus.

So look around today. At church. At work. In your neighborhood. Even in your own home.

Are you helping or blocking others from seeing Jesus?