Experiencing God - Called by Christ 81

"When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 
Gospel of Luke

Perhaps one of the most difficult times in my life was in my mid to late twenties.  If you could look back at my life at that time, you would not see anything that had the appearance of a difficult time.  I was married with three children.  I had a job with excellent pay and a promising career path.  I had my own house, and very little debt, yet my life was filled with an absence of something, something that I did not even know at the time.  The pain of those few years brought me to the door of faith, and a relationship with Christ.

Our Gospel reading for today is about a man named Zaachaeus.  To gain an understanding of what Luke is trying to convey through this gospel account, you have to ask yourself a couple of questions.  Why did Zacchaeus climb that sycamore tree in order to see Jesus?  Why would he make himself the laughing stock of his towns people in order to see Jesus as He walked by?

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, and he was rich.  He had a position of authority in his community, all-be-it an unpopular one, and he benefited greatly from his work.  His wealth, his position, and his inclinations to exploit others for personal gain would certainly have set him apart from the rest of the community.  Despite this unpopular lifestyle he had chosen, his action of climbing a tree in the public square was one done out of desperation.  There are many things that could have led Zacchaeus to do this:  His broken relationships, a serious illness,  an inner emptiness that could not be filled, or maybe just the heart wrenching question that we all face at times: “What is this life all about?” 

Whatever it was, on that day when Jesus was passing by, his  desperation placed in his heart that desire to see Jesus. 

And when Jesus saw Zacchaeus in that tree, clinging somewhat desperately to those few branches in order to catch that glimpse, Jesus responded in love.  “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down:  For I must stay at your house today.  And we know how the story unfolded from there.  

These words to Zacchaeus remind us of what Jesus is quoted as saying in the Book of Revelation.  “I stand at the door and knock.  For those who hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in and dine with them and them with me.”  These are really the words that Jesus extended to Zacchaeus.  These are the words that He extends to us.

At times, church can be a funny place to be.  We can at times get all caught up in a frantic type of busyness; important work to be done, problems to be solved.  And I don’t mean this as a criticism. There are many things that must be done, and why not do them well.  But as people of God, as church, we must always keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts that our first mission must always be to bring Christ message and light to the world, particularly to those who, for whatever reason, are trying to find their way through this somewhat confusing maze we call life.

In my late twenties, through the help and guidance of church and friends, I discovered a new way of living that turned the old way upside down, that shifted my priorities, and set me off in a new direction, a direction I’m still journeying on today.  I’m still going through the changes, still discovering new things.  But it is no longer a journey I am taking alone.

Jesus declares in the conclusion of this gospel:  “Today, salvation has come to this house because Zacchaeus too is a son of Abraham:  For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." 

Do you number yourself among those lost, but have been found in Christ?  I know I do.  We all get lost at times.  I still do today. These are the times when we must be like Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus's desire to see Jesus outweighed the humiliation he might experience from the other things around him and in his life.  And because he was able to take the risk, he not only heard his special call, but experienced a conversion that resulted from his response to the call.

How much am I willing to risk to be a follower of Christ? What are the obstacles in my life that hold me back from being that person God wants me to be?  

As Christians, these questions are always before us.  Yet our positive response will lead us to that place God has prepared for us, now, and in the time to come.