Undignified
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." (Luke 19:1-5)
Zacchaeus was rich but, because he acquired his wealth as a tax collector, he was also marginalized - ostracized by his people. He didn't have a sick child, and we're not told of any calamity he was facing, so it seems Zacchaeus was just curious to see this Jesus he'd heard about. He was so curious that he violated societal norms and climbed a tree to ensure that he'd see Jesus - and maybe that Jesus would see him as well. And Jesus did see Zacchaeus, called him down from the tree, and even invited himself to Zacchaeus' home. Zacchaeus immediately complied and was overjoyed to welcome Jesus to his home. But those who saw this exchange began to speak against Jesus - saying that he was hanging out with sinners. Interestingly, Jesus did not attempt to defend himself. Instead, Zacchaeus spoke up and announced that he would make restitution and amend his ways. Jesus then proclaimed Zacchaeus' salvation and reunited him with his community by acknowledging Zacchaeus' status as a
son of Abraham.
We are challenged to embrace the examples of both Zacchaeus and Jesus. Perhaps because he was already an outcast, Zacchaeus was willing to look a little foolish and disregard the expectations of the community when he sought Jesus by climbing a tree. And when Jesus showed an interest in him, Zacchaeus had no shame when he displayed his exuberance by making a public promise to change his ways. Likewise, Jesus was not swayed by public opinion - either about Zacchaeus, or about Jesus' own actions in welcoming those who were frequently derided by society. May we be willing to be undignified in our pursuit of Jesus, and may we never let fear of public scrutiny keep us from welcoming those seeking salvation.
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:6-9)
