Experiencing God - Zacchaeus 80

"Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him".
Gospel of Luke

In the Gospel tonight, we read that Zacchaeus was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was. Zacchaeus was a man of position, successful. Imagine the scene. Here is a rich man, with the same sort of status as a bank manager in a small town, wanting to see Christ. He slips into the crowd. He is already a rather quaint figure, being so short. He climbs a tree. Can you imagine the manager of your local bank climbing a tree in the main square just to see a vagrant prophet? Of course, he was beset by catcalls, whistling, jeers, and laughter. To climb a tree like a street urchin when one is a local notability, to risk becoming a laughing-stock - was probably Zacchaeus’s hardest test of faith. It deals with the question of how much we are willing to risk to be a follower of Christ. But Zacchaeus desire to see Jesus outweighed the humiliation he might experience from the crowds. And because he was willing to take that risk, he not only heard his special call from the Lord, but experienced a conversion to a new way of life. 

How much are we willing to risk to become a follower of Christ? As Christians, this question is before us irrespective of where we are on our journey of faith. Am I bold enough in expressing my faith; do I show courage in living out my beliefs? What are the obstacles in my life that hold me back from being the person God wants me to be?

In the early stages of my own faith journey, it was certainly apparent that I was not very courageous in respect to faith manners. Being a convert, I found myself being very sensitive to the reactions and opinions of others, particularly members of my family. What will they think? Are they disappointed in me for moving away from what they taught me? The results of such thinking is fear, an inability to be oneself. As a result, it took me quite a while before I could be open with them on faith matters. There are two things that I’ve learned from this experience.  

1. In order to be open in respect to faith matters, I had to take risks. I had to take the risk that I would continue to be accepted despite differences in views. I had to take the risk that it's far more important for me to be myself, then to hide in the shadows.

2. And secondly, to offset my own weakness or lack of confidence, I had to rely on the strength that came from a source outside myself; my faith in the Lord. I had to ask Him for help.

This question of how much are willing to risk, will always be before us. Our “yes” in respond to faith today will result in further calls to commitment tomorrow, mainly because we are all in transition.  

And as we are willing to risk, we are changed by God’s grace to more truly live the life to which we are called. A life of freedom, a life of trust in a God who loves us.

Zacchaeus, through the power of grace, was able to abandon his shallow life style built on materialism and deceitfulness. He began to respond to his true identify, of being a sharer of God’s blessings. This new way of life is available to each of us.