Years ago my wife and I drove through Bemidji, MN. At the entrance stood a big figure of Paul Bunyan and Babe the blue ox. I had read the myth of this lumberjack and his blue ox in school. We stood dwarfed before them.
We usually think of the word big in the physical sense, but what about heart and soul? The first king of Israel stood head and shoulders above his people, but lost his heart for God. God replaced King Saul with a little shepherd boy, David. David had a big heart for God. He was called “a man after God’s own heart.” While selecting the new king, God told the prophet Samuel, “for God sees not as a man sees for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7 NASB). This shepherd boy later killed a giant.
During the ministry of Jesus, multitudes followed Him. One day a notorious sinner, despised by his own people because he was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax collecting business who had also become very rich, wanted to see Jesus. Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was passing through Jericho. He tried to get a look at Jesus but was too short to see over the crowds. So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree that was beside the road so he could watch Jesus pass by. As Jesus passed by Zacchaeus, he was totally surprised when Jesus looked up into the tree and called him by name. “Zacchaeus! Come down! For I must be a guest in your home today.” (See Luke 19:1-10.) The crowd was angry that Jesus would associate with such a man as this. Zacchaeus was overjoyed. Even though short of stature and despised, his heart was enlarged by the love and mercy of the Master. Zacchaeus said to Jesus, “I will give half of my wealth to the poor and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much.” Jesus replied, “Salvation has come to this house today for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost’ (Luke 19:8-10 NLT).
When that little man climbed the tree to see Jesus, his life was changed. He became a big man for God. The only way we can discover the greatness of God’s grace is to become little in our own eyes. When we look to Calvary’s tree on which Jesus died for our sins, our lives will be transformed. To the world the message of the cross is foolishness but to those who are saved it’s “the power of God unto salvation” (I Corinthians 1:18-30).
A truly great cause can make a little man big. Paul Bunyan, the lumberjack, was big. But another Bunyan who lived in England in the 17th century was even bigger. John Bunyan was a little esteemed tinker or handyman. He was imprisoned for 12 years for preaching without a license. In jail he wrote numerous books. His “Pilgrims Progress” and “Holy War” became great allegories of Christian truth. John Bunyan was big because he had a great God, a great cause, and a great heart for God.
Listen to his description of a truly happy man: “The happy man was born in the city of regeneration, in the parish of repentance unto life. He was educated in the School of Obedience; he works at the trade of Diligence and does many jobs of self-denial.
“He owns a large estate in the country of Christian Contentment and wears the plain garments of humility. He breakfasts every morning on spiritual prayer and sups every evening of the same. He also has ‘meat to eat the world know not of.’ He has the Gospel submission in his conduct, due order in his affection, sound peace in his conscience, sanctifying love in his soul, real divinity in his breast, true humility in his heart, the Redeemer’s yoke on his neck, the world under his feet, and a crown of glory over his head. In order to obtain this, he prays fervently, believes firmly, waits patiently, works abundantly, redeems his time, guards his sense, loves Christ, and longs for glory.”
Is your heart and soul big for God? Like Zacchaeus, go to the tree – the cross where Jesus died for your sins can change your life and destiny. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12 NASB).