Luke 18:15  to  Luke 19:48
November 10, 2014


I mentioned just about everything in today's reading in yesterday's blog, except for Zacchaeus.
I hadn't considered before how late in ministry that the Lord encountered Zacchaeus.   Since he was a tax collector, and so was Levi (Matthew) my mind seemed to put him earlier in the ministry than he really is.    Zacchaeus is close to the last encounter Jesus has outside of Jerusalem.

His account is a good example of what it means to be truly repentant.   He goes out of his way to encounter Jesus, He responds when Jesus calls him, He takes Jesus back to his home (allows him access to his life) and then, ignoring the criticism of those around him, he makes drastic changes in his life.  We would identify that whole process as being repentant.   Truly, Zacchaeus is sorry enough about the way he has been living to want to quit.   Oddly, there isn't any physical motivation behind his desire.  Zacchaeus isn't sick, he isn't demon possessed or blind, or have any other problems that we are told of.   He isn't a poor beggar.   In fact Zacchaeus isn't just a tax collector, he's the chief of the tax collectors, which would make him fairly important, and had made him pretty wealthy.  
I suspect that the people were muttering about Jesus going to eat with a "sinner" because they didn't want Jesus OR Zacchaeus to hear that they were talking about them.   In his old life, Zacchaeus could be a formidable enemy, I'm sure.    Probably not someone you wanted to make mad.

But there is a change in him.  Today, Zacchaeus is thinking differently, he sees his life and views his wealth differently.   The exact moment that he becomes a follower of Jesus isn't defined for us.  It could be the very moment he says "here, Lord today I give...." or it could have been a moment lost to history around the dinner table.   It isn't important, what's important is that it happened at all.   Zacchaeus has confessed, and has repented and Jesus has accepted him.  He is adopted into the kingdom.   A tax collector has entered ahead of the teachers of the law.  Just like Jesus said was going to happen.

His story can be our story.   Figuratively speaking we can identify with the blind man, because we don't have spiritual sight, and we can identify with the crippled man, because before Christ touches us we are incapable and ill equipped.  We can identify with the poor man, because before Jesus, we really have no riches of any consequence.

But the person with whom we can relate most accurately could be Zacchaeus.   As Americans we are among the wealthiest people on the earth.  Our health care system is second to none.  People travel from all over the globe to the United States to receive health care.  We live in ease and comfort for the most part, and with few exceptions we are treated with a measure of respect around the world.    We cannot identify with most of the problems that plague those who live in third world countries.  We have much, and our lives are good.

But the teacher is passing by, and He has something that makes all that we have seem worthless.  In fact, if we are to become His followers, and inherit the kingdom of God, and be adopted as His sons and daughters, we will have to be willing to discard all other things.   Are we willing to surrender our wealth, unlike the rich young ruler?   Are we willing to endure the criticism and whispering of others?  Are we willing to humble ourselves by climbing into a tree (fairly undignified) in order to meet the Master?

If we are, then excitement and adventure await in both this life, and the next!


PR