October 31, 2010
He's Coming to our House Today
- Luke 19:1-10
- Dr. Teri Thomas
The things we say in a moment of gratitude. Zacchaeus is sitting at his table, alone now, shaking his head in disbelief, but with a sort of smile on his face. The voice of Jesus has faded and his footsteps receded as he went on his way to Jerusalem. Jericho will seem forlorn without his voice and tread. Servants quietly move around the room, clearing scraps of bread and half filled glasses.
Still Zacchaeus sits, shaking his head. What was I thinking? What did I promise? How will I ever give away half my possessions to the poor and repay those I have defrauded four times over? The things we say in a moment of gratitude!
He wouldn’t be sitting here stunned and yet smiling if Jesus had not passed through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. That’s how all this came about.
Zacchaeus had heard about this healer and teacher, this one who ate with sinners and who touched the unclean. But if he had not entered Jericho, he would have been only a distant rumor.
It was as if he came looking for Zacchaeus. Oh, I guess Zacchaeus did his part as well. If he had not had such a yearning to see who Jesus was, he would not have run and shoved ahead of the crowd,he would not have pushed those kids out of the tree he would not have climbed that sycamore tree to see Jesus.
And, if there had not been a sycamore tree handy, he would not have been able to see him. None of the taller townspeople were likely to put Zacchaeus on their shoulders! To them, he was unclean. It was as if he worked for Bear Sterns or Bernie Madoff. So he ran, and he climbed, in a very undignified fashion but what the heck, he was on everyone’s shun list already anyway.
So he ran and he climbed- why? Because Jesus was going to pass that way.
If Zacchaeus had not been high in his perch he would not have been able to see the top of Jesus’ head and the sweep of his robe as he went by. That would have been enough for him. Just to see Jesus from a distance. If Jesus had not stopped right under the tree and looked up at Zacchaeus,
he would never have seen his face. If he had not stopped under the place where Zacchaeus was perched, Jesus would not have seen him, would not have been able to direct an invitation to him.
Would never been able to instruct him to hurry. But Zacchaeus did hurry. There is an air of urgency about an unexpected invitation, an unannounced guest.
If Jesus had not stopped under this tree Zacchaeus would not have felt that stomach lurching sense of dismay, followed by elation. “He not only notices me, he sees me as worthy to host him in my home!”
As soon as Zacchaeus’ feet hit the ground, he heard the grumbling of all his neighbors. They hate him. They resent him. They call him an unclean sinner. They expected Jesus to let Zacchaeus have it-call him what he is- scum, viper, cheat, thief. They were hoping for a lynching, not a luncheon.
“You’re right,” Zacchaeus feel like saying. “He is going to be the guest of one who is a sinner…
But a grateful sinner, a repentant sinner.”
What if Jesus had listened to their grumbling and said, “Oh, my bad. He is a sinner, isn’t he?
Bad choice for the first stop on my progressive dinner. I’ll move on to someone else.” He would have rescinded the invitation and gone on to Jerusalem, gone on to dine in someone else’s home.
But Jesus didn’t listen to them. Instead, he listened to Zacchaeus and to what he said next. If only he hadn’t said “Look, half my possessions I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much,” If he had not said it, he would not have to change his life now.
The things we say in a moment of gratitude. He sits at his table, alone now, shaking his head in disbelief, but with a sort of smile on his face.
The voice of Jesus has faded. His footsteps have receded as he went on his way to Jerusalem.
Jericho will seem forlorn without his voice and tread. Servants quietly move around the room,
clearing scraps of bread and half filled glasses from the table. Jesus is gone, and yet, he is somehow still present, still here to guide and energize.
Still Zacchaeus sits, shaking his head. What was I thinking? What did I promise? How will I ever be able to give away half my possessions to the poor and repay those I have defrauded four times over?
The things we say in a moment of gratitude!
Thanks be to God.
Amen.