A while back, I re-read a story that made me really love Jesus – when He invites Himself over for lunch, and it changes Zaccheus’ life. I was thinking about this again the other day – that Jesus didn’t preach to Zaccheus, or condemn him, or teach him anything. They weren’t even at his house yet, and Zaccheus had already committed to change his life. Jesus changed his life by being who He was, and by the act of befriending him.
I also said in that previous post that Jesus saw something about Zaccheus other people missed – that he was lost. Exhibit A was his being up a tree.
And then it hit me. What kind of person climbs trees? Little children. Grown-ups admire trees from a distance, and may prune them, or gather fruit from them, but they usually don’t climb them. That’s kid stuff. Is it possible that as Jesus was walking through Jericho, and he saw a man in a tree trying get a look at Him, that He remembered what He said a few days before? “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.” (Luke 18:17)
So here is a man who is despised and reviled by everyone already, who has just climbed a tree just to see Jesus.
Undignified! Immature! Scandalous! The act of a desperate person! How the next person who he collected taxes from would snicker behind his back about this child-sized man acting like a child. “Look, there the goes the tax-collecting monkey!”
But apparently, Zaccheus didn’t care. Or if he did, he was willing to be undignified for a chance to get close to Jesus. Like a child.
In case anyone hadn’t noticed Zaccheus’ odd behavior, Jesus helpfully points it out to the entire crowd! And then He returns all the honor Zaccheus tossed aside for His sake by gracing him with His presence at his house, and his table.
God, grant us the faith to be undignified enough to let nothing come between us and Your Son!
