November 4, 2007 At Saint Mark Church in Norman, OK
Wisdom 11:22-12:2 + Psalma145 + 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2 + Luke 19: 1-10
Like so many of the stories in Luke’s Gospel, there is a parallel. Luke seems to like things pairs, and most of his characters have an “opposite” match somewhere in the Gospel. It’s all part of his “great reversal” theme, and Zacchaeus is no exception. Earlier, another rich person has come up to see Jesus, and he goes away sad. This time, a rich man comes to see Jesus, and he ends up joyful.
The problem Zacchaeus has is the “crowd”. Because of them, he can’t “see” Jesus. But be careful, Luke is not talking about a “sighting” here. That is not Zacchaeus wants. Think about how we use the word “see” a little bit more. Sometimes we say: “I’m going to see the doctor.” That’s the point here – that is what Zacchaeus wants. He wants to understand and be understood by Jesus. He wants a relationship, now a pair of binoculars.
His problem is not his eyes nor his physical stature. His problem is the crowd! They are in the way – not physically, but personally. They want sightings, they want to watch, they grumble and mummer, they do not enter into a relationship. Zacchaeus wants none of that stuff, but because of the crowd and their behavior and the things they say, and their expectations, he is needs to get above them – he needs to “get over” them. Think about the images here, not the literal details.
Zacchaeus has enough desire, enough willingness, enough creativity to do just that. He is willing to look silly, be laughed at or ridiculed because of his desire to have a relationship that Jesus; and he gets what he wants and more.
So does Jesus. He gets what he wants and more. There are people with intense desire here: Jesus, who says: “I MUST stay at your house today.” This is strong language. He is not asking for an invitation. He expressing something he MUST do. Zacchaeus comes down QUICKLY and received him with JOY. Both of these men have their deepest most urgent longings satisfied, and the consequence if Joy for both of them. Remember, in the parallel story of a different rich man, Jesus was saddened as the man went away with eyes cast down for he could not do what Jesus asked of him.
There is another wonderful little but important thing happening here worth observation and reflection. When Jesus shows up at dinner or at someone’s house, he is never the guest; but always becomes the host. He feeds, nourishes, serves, and always, he becomes the host. It happens at Cana in Galilee with wine and water. It happens in the home of Martha and Mary.
It happens in home of a Roman Centurion, in the home of a Pharisee,
and now in the home of Zachariah. The divine guest becomes the divine host prefiguring the heavenly banquet. He invites Zacchaeus into his life, into the intimacy of his friendship.
This invitation is extended to us all, my friends. Would that the same sense of urgency could move us to do the same, to ignore the crowds of this world and their superficial response to Jesus and get above it all and experience the same Joy. What Luke says to us on this autumn Sunday is that Jesus loves us
not because we are particularly holy, pure, and good, but precisely because we are not. There is on God’s part through Jesus, an obligation, a desire, an urgent longing to stay in your house. The response God’s want and God is anxious to have is not one that is simply spiritual, but one that radically changes our behavior, that is marked by extraordinary generosity, and the freedom to give away, let go of, and make amends for harm done in our past.
One rich man in Lukes Gospel could do it and lived with Joy. The other went away sad for his riches were many.
Which one is going to be our story?