Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10
Ordinary 31C; Proper 26
Public. Obvious. Communal. These three adjectives describe Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus.
The setting of the story takes place in front of the crowd. There were so many people that Zacchaeus, being short of stature, must climb a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Jesus, in front of all those gathered, spots the lone man up in the branches and calls him out, by name no less. Everyone hears Jesus invite himself to Zacchaeus’ home. The Pharisees and scribes grumble because Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners — even this notorious scammer and cheater, Zacchaeus. Repeatedly Luke contrasts the Pharisees and scribes with the tax collectors and sinners and, in this great Jesus-reversal, the last and least become the first found and saved.
Public. Obvious. Communal. Everybody sees. Everybody knows. They know Zacchaeus by reputation. They see Jesus call him out and go to his home. Subsequently, those defrauded by this tax collector witness his transformation. Others, too, see the change in this infamous tax collector. He gives away a noticeable amount of his possessions. He pays back not one, not two, not three, but four times what he’d stolen from people. There can be no doubt of the connection between Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus and his unmistakable change in behavior.
When was the last time we could say that about our discipleship?
Public. Obvious. Communal. Nothing about this conversion story can be characterized as solely private, spiritual or personal. Outward signs of that invisible grace abound in Zacchaeus and through Zacchaeus into the community in which he lives and works.
When was the last time we could say that about our congregations?
Hopefully such evidence of the radical impact of our faith in Jesus Christ abounds. Hopefully others cannot help but notice the difference our relationship with Jesus Christ makes in our relationships with others. If not, then perhaps we invited Jesus into our hearts, even allowed him to enter our homes, but kept the rest of our lives off-limits to his power.
Calling our religion private is convenient. Saying that it’s no one’s business but the Lord’s how we use our resources or conduct our work or interact with the rest of the world allows us to rope off those places we’d rather not have our Christianity interfere. However, this story of Zacchaeus pushes us to question ourselves and our churches about whether our conversion is public, obvious and communal. This story begs the question: What impact does our encounter with Jesus have on our actions and therefore on the lives of all of those around us?
This text points backwards to Luke’s account of John the Baptist’s call for repentance. As each group hears and heeds John’s call they ask: What then should be do? In other words, this inward change of heart has an outward, public, obvious, communal manifestation. John says: Those with two coats should give one away. Even tax collectors, we are told, come to be baptized. And those tax collectors, what should they do? Don’t cheat people. Soldiers, what should they do? Don’t extort money. Conversion equals not only a change of heart, but a different way of living in the world: noticeably new behavior that impacts the community for good.
When was the last time our conversion did likewise?
Our discipleship ought to be the occasion of grumbling for those satisfied and benefiting from the status quo. Christians ought to be a source of great concern to the “fat and strong,” as Ezekiel puts it. Church people ought to make those who defraud the vulnerable, exploit the poor and prey on widows and orphans uneasy and on guard, on watch and on notice. As Jesus called out Zacchaeus, Jesus’ disciples, having experienced the transformative power of meeting the Son of God, should be prepared to call out policies, institutions and people who enrich themselves at the expense of others. Not for the sake of shaming or punishing, so much as to bear witness to the joy that comes in recognizing our mutual dependence and God-created connection. Christians are to call out in order to invite others to participate in genuine reconciliation, rather than deepening the divides that come with seeing everything and everyone as a commodity to be used and expended for selfish ends.
Public. Obvious. Communal. Perhaps these three adjectives could be used to help Christians and congregations discern the impact of their experience of being at table with Jesus. Princeton Theological Seminary (a Presbyterian institution) and Virginia Theological Seminary (an Episcopalian one) recently announced plans to pay reparations for slavery. Public, obvious, communal actions as a result of their encounter with Jesus Christ. Late in coming, perhaps, but tangible and impactful nonetheless.
The World Communion of Reformed Churches has what is called the Zacchaeus Project, an initiative that works for tax justice and other ways to pay back what has been taken wrongly from others. The Poor People’s Campaign advocates for a living wage, health insurance and other policies to address poverty and systemic racism. Our own denomination has started the Matthew 25 Initiative to serve in life-changing ways those imprisoned, those in poverty and others on the margins of our culture. Public. Obvious. Communal. Our conversion, our salvation by grace, our encounter with Jesus, our sitting at table with the Lord, our repentance and God’s forgiveness is never solely private or spiritual or personal. Our discipleship has lived consequences that impact the world for good.
This story from Luke of that wee little man who likely had no idea how seeing and being seen by Jesus would utterly upend his life invites us to remember the transformative power of being called by name, loved, redeemed and numbered among God’s children. This story of Jesus coming into Zacchaeus’ home – and therefore ours – invites us to ask with all the other tax collectors and sinners: What should we do now? And then publicly, obviously, communally do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God. Expect others to notice, some to grumble and many to join us as they, too, discover the joy of living forgiven, freed and for God’s sake.
This week:
- When have you actively sought out Jesus?
- Have you had a conversion experience over the course of your faith journey? A time when you were compelled to make a change as a result of your belief in Jesus Christ?
- How are churches in your area participating in something like the Zacchaeus Project or the Matthew 25 Initiative?
- What is public, obvious and communal about your discipleship? That of your congregation?
- Why do Pharisees and scribes grumble about the company Jesus keeps? Are we among those grumbling groups sometimes?
- When have you witnessed or experienced a radical transformation? What happened? What was the impetus for that change? What were the results of it?
