Not so worthy

Kids’ songs can get their hooks in our brains. Ever accidentally heard an old song and it sticks to your thoughts like white bread to the roof of your mouth?

Every time I read the story about Zacchaeus, the same thing happens. I start singing, “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he….” I had to sit on my hands so I didn’t make the hand gestures to go with the words. (Here’s a link if the words are a little hazy for you.)

Having a children’s verse repeating in my head is a definite shortcoming when trying to read about our wee little man. But I gritted my teeth: there’s got to be more to this story than silly old song. Pushing ahead, I began asking questions.

Like, why did our author, Luke, want us to know that Zacchaeus was short? Is it necessary to know he had to climb a tree to see Jesus?

Well, the crowd wouldn’t let him through. He was too short to see over everyone and the crowd was not helpful. I’m not re-visiting the crowd theme (see yesterday’s article for that) but it does continue in this story.

However, Luke also listed Zacchaeus’ other shortcomings as well: he was a tax collector, not popular with the crowd, rich and a sinner to boot.

Zacchaeus, like the blind beggar in the story immediately before this one in Luke, passionately sought out Jesus. He climbed a tree to see the passing Jesus. He didn’t ask anything of Jesus but wanted to see him. Both Zacchaeus and the blind beggar (from yesterday’s article) sought a connection with Jesus – even it was simply a glimpse.

When two adjoining stories share similar points, we can know those are some of the things to learn from the stories. Zacchaeus and the blind beggar were imperfect men with a shameful past, definitely not worthy of Jesus’ time according to the religious crowd around them. Jesus didn’t agree.

Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home, heard Zacchaeus’ plan to restore what he had taken from others, and declared, “Today salvation has come to this house. (Luke 19:9)

Zacchaeus, like many others, could have thought his shortcomings would keep him away from Jesus. (Yes, I think Luke was making a pun by being sure we knew he was height-challenged.) But Zacchaeus overcame. He only wanted to see Jesus and found himself embraced by the compassion of the Son of Man.

Jesus’ ministry was not to seek out the religiously pious or the zealous nationalists…

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

Luke 19:10