Jesus and Zacchaeus
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
~ Luke 19:1-10 (NRSVUE)
Throughout the season of Lent, we have been talking about the extremes of life and how we often find ourselves in the in-between moments and in the messy middles. This week, our extremes are righteousness and mercy, and I want to start by offering some definitions so that we are all on the same page. Let’s start with righteousness. Biblical righteousness focuses on moral correctness, doing the right thing, and being in right relationship with God and with others.
Now, of course, righteousness is an important topic in the church, but if we aren’t careful, righteousness can make us judgmental of others. Mercy, on the other hand, is an act of grace that recognizes that no one is perfect and that we all make mistakes. Biblical mercy is a good thing, but if we are not careful, our efforts at mercy can lead to a lack of direction and respect. And when that happens, we tend to give people a free pass for continued wrongdoing without any expectation that they will correct their behavior. Some churches get so focused on righteousness and moral correctness that mercy is hardly mentioned, while others focus so much on mercy that there is little discussion about good behavior and moral character.
Well, today we heard a story about Jesus, and we heard about the “in-betweens” of righteousness and mercy. As the story goes, Jesus was passing through Jericho, and there was a man there named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was rich. Now, to say that tax collectors were hated in the ancient world is an understatement. After all, they worked for the Roman Empire and betrayed and oppressed their own people for personal gain.
Now, besides being a tax collector, Zacchaeus was Jewish, so when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he wanted to see this person whom his people were calling the Messiah. So, he showed up at the side of the road and climbed the tree to see Jesus. Now, I am sure that people were yelling unkind things at Zacchaeus as he climbed the tree. They were probably making fun of him and telling him to go away. But as Jesus passed by the tree that Zacchaeus was in, Jesus stopped and called Zacchaeus by name. I can only imagine that the people along the road probably started to laugh because they figured Jesus was going to give Zacchaeus a talking-to. But remember my friends, this isn’t just an ordinary story or a fairytale with a happy ending. This is a parable, or a story that Jesus tells to turn the world’s understanding upside down. And at that moment, the story took a sudden turn.
Yes, Jesus calls Zacchaeus by name. “Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus, come down,” Jesus says. At this point, I’m sure the crowd is thinking, “Here it comes, Jesus is going to let him have it!” But on the contrary, Jesus says, “Zacchaeus, come down, I’m going to stay at your house today!” What? Can’t you imagine that mouths began dropping open in disbelief? How could Jesus do that? Didn’t he care that Zacchaeus cheated and stole and oppressed his own people?
I received a call from a clergy colleague this week who was struggling with an issue at their church. A parishioner of theirs had committed a crime years ago. They were part of a group that had stolen credit card numbers and money through an online scam. They were arrested and spent several years in prison. They paid restitution, they acknowledged that what they had done was wrong, and asked for forgiveness from as many people as possible. Upon release from their sentence, the person longed for community and returned to the church that they had attended years before. The congregation, however, was not okay with their return. They did not welcome the person with open arms. On the contrary, several members told the pastor that they would leave the church if the person was allowed back in the sanctuary, and my colleague was trying to figure out what to do.
Interestingly enough, our theme today is the spectrum between righteousness and mercy. As we just heard, when Jesus saw Zacchaeus in the tree, to everyone’s surprise, Jesus called him by name and told him to come down because Jesus was coming to his house. At Zacchaeus’ house, Zacchaeus tells Jesus that he is going to change. He is going to pay back what he took and make right what he wronged. So maybe the story does have a happy ending.
Folks, if you think about it, Zacchaeus could have stayed in his office, counting his money and planning new ways to steal even more. But he showed up on the side of the road and climbed a tree to see Jesus. Maybe he had heard that Jesus gave everyone a chance. Maybe he wanted to change the way he was living, but didn’t know how. He knew that everyone hated him and wanted nothing to do with him, but maybe he was looking for a chance to change. Maybe he had heard that this Jesus even ate with tax collectors and sinners. We don’t really know why Zacchaeus showed up that day. All that we do know is that Jesus called his name and invited him in, just the way he was. Zacchaeus’ life was never the same again.
Friends, in today’s story, Jesus could have easily bullied, mocked, belittled, and judged Zacchaeus. After all, he had the masses on his side, but instead, he reached out to Zacchaeus with dignity, respect, and love. And invited him to try again and to start living a new way. Jesus didn’t wait for Zacchaeus to ask for help or for Zacchaeus to promise that he would change. No! He simply called him by name and invited him in. Something like this may be hard to imagine in today’s society, but if we look at this story through the eyes of the unconditional love and grace that Jesus teaches us, it’s not surprising at all.
Friends, I wonder, who are the Zacchaeuses in your life? Or in our world? Who are the ones we dislike? The ones we turn away? The ones that we gossip about for the things they have said and done? I am sure that we all have one or two, if not many more!
Back in the mid-1980s, there was a grassroots youth movement to help young people better live out their faith. And the young people wore bracelets that said W.W.J.D., which stands for “What Would Jesus Do?” I got a text a few weeks ago from Janice, asking if I thought our congregation would wear something like that. At the time, I wasn’t sure how or where they would fit in, but this week, Jesus showed us exactly what he would do to turn the world’s understanding upside down. And to offer a new chance and a new beginning to someone who had made some difficult choices in the past. He would offer an invitation. He would provide a safe place for them to land. He would be a good neighbor. And he would be ready to help them in their time of need.
Friends, I am so glad that I am not judged by the worst things that I have done in my life or by the mistakes that I still make today. I’m so glad that Jesus saw me as a beloved child of God from the very beginning, no matter what I did! I’m glad that Jesus called me by name and invited me to follow him. And I’m glad that he has done the same for you, too!
Folks, don’t we all long for love, belonging, and a safe place to land? Well, the story of Zacchaeus reminds us that we are called to be a church and a community that welcomes all. And I don’t just mean age, gender, race, color, sexual orientation, or financial status. I mean, we are all welcomed as imperfect people who don’t always get it right, who make really big mistakes sometimes, and who occasionally say and do things we shouldn’t.
Because the good news is, in a world that loves to cast blame and point fingers, Jesus loved by different rules. He offered mercy. He invited people to dinner. He told stories of love. He chose to see the best in others. And folks, the truth is, because of Jesus and the things that he said and did, small acts of mercy and compassion have ripple effects that have reached us and our lives today. Because small acts of righteousness and justice and mercy are so important to a life of faith.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?” Then do your best to be like him. Believe in offering mercy, inviting people to dinner, telling stories of love, and choosing to see the best in others because that is how we share the love of God and make the world a better place.
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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