“Never put a period where God has put a comma”—Gracie Allen
Zacchaeus was just about the most despised Jew among the
Jewish people living in Jericho. He was the Chief Tax Collector; he ran the
crew of collectors that exploited the poor and grew rich off of the weakest of
society. Is it any wonder, then, when Jesus decided to stay at Zacchaeus’ house
that his disciples grumbled; they had good reason to grumble. Once again, we
have a story that puts conventional wisdom to the test and puts on display
“God’s foolishness”(2 Corinthians).
The structure of the story can help us enter the story and
sort out this “foolishness”. First, Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name. No matter
where we are in life, no matter how distant from what others recognize as God’s
favor, we are being sought-out like a shepherd for a single lost lamb.
Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Christ. Earlier in Luke, just after Jesus responded
to the disciples’ request “to teach us to pray” with the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus
says “So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will
find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks
receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened” (11:9-10).
Having been found, Zacchaeus’ response was to make
reparation for his sins. Rather than simply confessing, he changed his life.
Our response to our calling is a changed life; repentance means turning
around. Salvation is preceded by
repentance, but it is the saving Grace of God that brings us to our knees; it
is God’s loving us that allows such a repentant attitude. We can only repent if
we can experience the depth of God’s love.
As Christians, our mission is the mission of Christ: Seek
the lost and let them see God’s love for them, and the place to begin is with
your own “lostness”. In our adoration of the Body of Christ, it is we who are
in the tree trying to get a glimpse of Jesus, and it is Christ who speaks to
our hearts: “Today I will come and stay with you”.
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