This gospel story we hear proclaimed today is perhaps one of the best loved stories in the gospels. It has a simplicity to it, there aren’t complex follow ups, it is honest and relatable, and has the happiest of endings.
There is a reason that this story is in every Children's bible story books and for any one of any age we can see ourselves in this story.
Because of all our familiarity with the story, I want to push a bit on the scene and lessons. We hear proclaimed:
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. … Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
Now Jericho is northeast of Jerusalem and way south of Capernaum. In Jesus’ travels this town would have been a well trodden path for Jesus and his followers.
I want us in our prayer minds to fast forward, let’s say six weeks later. The follow up story I am going to share is not biblical. But given the way we humans are, I think it’s a reasonable projection.
Pray with me here:
Six weeks later, Zacchaeus and his townfolk hear that Jesus is on his way back, and will be passing through again.
Now the last we heard, Zacchaeus promised:
Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."
I submit to you that if Zacchaeus is anything like me, and perhaps many of us, it has been six weeks and he hasn’t exactly done that yet. He is sincere; fixing to start to plan this give away.
So pray with me as Zacchaeus comes home early and pulls the curtains shut. Watch him as he cleans up the front porch so it looks as if no one is home. Hear him tell his wife and teen children that they shouldn’t answer the door if anyone knocks. I want us to sit with them in the dark. Afraid of Jesus coming, as he hasn’t kept the promise he made to Jesus in his exuberance with Jesus. And Jesus might be mad about that.
Let’s imagine the scene when he came home all those weeks ago, hosting Jesus with his family. See his wife’s face when he tells her he will be giving half of their possessions to the poor, and if [he] have extorted anything from anyone (narrator’s voice: he has) I shall repay it four times over." See his almost adult children hear this too…
After Jesus left those weeks ago, can you hear the arguments from his family members? “You are going to give WHAT?!” “You’re crazy.” “You can’t do that to us!” “You said THAT in front of everyone!?”
So… about all that giving away… maybe just not yet… for now…
Have you ever found yourself in such a predicament?
Among the lines of code that computer programmers and logicians write out are the famous “IF/THEN” statements…
IF (such and such happens or is true)
THEN (this other thing will happen or be true, too.)
Have you ever prayed with an “IF / THEN” statement? I bet we all have at some points in our lives. “Oh, God, if only you would ____________ (fill in your blank) then I will __________ (fill in your blank.)
We can then judge ourselves harshly for this when we fall short. And the trap is set!
When I usually fall into this trap I usually do something that flows naturally but unfortunately:
I come believe that God is angry at me for not doing what I said I would… yet or even not ever…
Meanwhile God, I submit, is waiting for me (us, maybe?) to get over ourselves.
Lets flash back to Zacchaeus’ house, as they all sit in the house, in the dark, not answering when Jesus knocks on the door, in fear of what he might say or do if he knows what Zacchaeus DIDN’T do yet…
Hear Jesus shout tenderly to Zacchaeus through the door - “Zacchaeus, open up quickly, for today I must stay at your house again. I’m not leaving until you open up…”
Hear Zacchaeus shuffle across his floor as he slowly answers the door, and steps outside, afraid to make eye contact with Jesus as Jesus wraps his arms around Zacchaeus and they take a walk together, maybe over to the famous sycamore tree.
What do you think Jesus would say to him? Can you see Jesus reprimand him? Or perhaps can you hear Jesus encourage him? “Be not afraid, my brother,” I think Jesus would say. “Of course do what you can to keep your promise. I am not here to check up on you, but to see you! To spend time with you and see your heart change and grow… I love you!”
Can we each hear something like that in our own prayer life? In our own walk with Jesus and with one another to grow in Grace?
We will have sycamore moments of encounter with love of God and exuberance; we will have moments when we draw the curtains and sit in the dark in a kind of fear, leery of letting God and Grace in again; overwhelmed by our unworthiness. Yet Jesus persists in spite of that!
There are folks who overuse the aphorism - ‘it's a marathon not a sprint” in regard to resilience in our faith lives and even secular pursuits.
In the spiritual life, I would honestly say from experience that “it is neither a marathon or a sprint, IT'S A HEPTATHLON or even a DECATHLON, where we are gifted and tested in many different ways at different episodes and stages of our lives.
Yet through it all, God, Grace, Jesus will be with us. Hear again from our first reading today:
Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
So come down from your sycamore and walk with Jesus.
Zacchaeus, Six Weeks Later...
This is a great blessing. Thank you so much.
This is a great blessing. Thank you so much.