Gospel of Luke 19:1-10
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus who was about to pass that way. We he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When I was a child, I remember singing the childhood hymn:
Zaccheaus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he....
I thought of Zaccheaus as a sad tax collector. He was a cheater, a swindler, and took money out of honest people's hands. The fact he was willing to climb a tall tree to see Jesus showed determination.
What made Zaccheaus interested in Our Lord? What prompted him to view Jesus from a distance? Did Zacchaeus listen to Jesus preach at one time and felt a transformation take place in his heart?
Zaccheaus climbed the sycamore tree since he was short in stature. This may have been the reasoning, but I think it goes much deeper: Zaccheaus was fearful! He knew he was a sinner. He knew he was a cheater and thief. He was pulled toward Christ. He wanted to change. It took Christ's invitation to come down quickly to encourage the change. Zaccheaus later remarks: Behold, half my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall replay it four times over."
How many of us desire to change for the better? Unfortunately, our first instinct is to make ourselves invisible. Some people may hide behind the "comforts" of alcohol, drugs, and pornography. Others may be emotionally and physically abusive toward loved ones in the privacy of the home. Still many people suffer from crippling mental illnesses and feel ashamed. Viewing the good and the holy from afar protects us. Our Lord knows our hearts and desires. If we only make ourselves visible and climb down from the trees of life can Jesus heal us and truly transform us.
Zacchaeus was a courageous wee little man. I think if Jesus planned to stay in my home overnight I'd be joyful, too (I pull out my best fish recipe and a good bottle of wine to celebrate!) Even though Jesus is no longer alive, I know he is with me in Spirit. He encourages me to continually seek positive change and growth. My life isn't static. It's meant to evolve as I mature and grow wiser with age. I don't need to hide up on top of a tree to see Jesus. He's standing right beside me holding my hand telling me to no longer be afraid!
-J.
No comments:
Post a Comment