The TV series called The Chosen dramatizes the life of the disciples and their interaction with
Jesus. I have only watched a couple episodes, but one stayed with me. It was our introduction to
Matthew, the tax collector, soon to be called as a disciple. He was very well dressed, maybe a
bit OCD, but the lengths he took to avoid people’s hatred and judgment stuck with me. Every
day he hired a local merchant to let him hide in the back of his cart so he could go to work
without facing the people he had cheated, by skimming money off their tax bills. Pocketing
some money from each tax bill was a common practice that made tax collectors rich but also
marginalized. Seeing this rich man crawling into a peasant’s cart, made me wonder if the money
was worth all that social trouble. Today we hear about another tax collector who after meeting
Jesus decided it wasn’t. READ Luke 19:1-10
Most weeks we isolate a passage and focus on what it is telling us today. But hearing “Son of
Man came to seek out and save the lost,” seemed familiar. The previous three chapters focused
on being lost and found with the lost sheep, lost coin and prodigal son. Another theme is the
relationship between rich and poor with the rich man and Lazarus and the rich ruler who asked
how to inherit eternal life, only to be asked to sell his possessions and give to the poor and
ultimately, he leaves sad. Lost and found, rich and poor. Now Zacchaeus, the rich chief tax
collector, has an encounter with Jesus and ends up at his house for dinner.
This memorable story, only told by Luke, is one we have sung songs about, one we love to tell
our children. We talk about Zacchaeus being short in stature, climbing a tree, and his desire to
see Jesus. But the only reason we hear about Zacchaeus’ height and tree adventure is because he
wanted to see Jesus. He wanted to lay eyes on Jesus, to see who Jesus was. Sight is critical. I
doubt he planned on meeting Jesus, but he did work very hard to see him. Interestingly in the
previous passage, on the way to Jericho, Jesus shows mercy and gives sight to a blind man. With
renewed sight the man followed Jesus and glorified God. Then Zacchaeus goes to great lengths
to see Jesus. Maybe this is one of the times Luke tells a story two different ways, to bring home
the point. Not only did Jesus give sight to a blind man who cried out for mercy, Jesus also sees a
powerful, rich man in a tree and invites himself to his home.
The crowd grumbled at Jesus’ invitation, because Zacchaeus was a sinner. The people could
only see Zacchaeus and his faults, as a rich tax collector, but Jesus saw something different and
treated him accordingly.
“Many of you have seen the delightful Broadway musical and motion picture, “My Fair Lady.” It
is based on George Bernard Shaw’s wonderful play, “Pygmalion.” It is about a brilliant
professor, Henry Higgins, who transforms a humble flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into an elegant
English lady. In the midst of her brilliant transformation, Eliza falls in love with Henry Higgins,
but he treats her only with disdain. Towards the end of the play, she expresses her complaint to
their mutual friend, Colonel Pickering: “You see,” she says, “Really and truly apart from the
things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the
difference between a lady and a flower girl is not in how she behaves, but how she is treated. I
shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl,
and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and
always will.”
It is encouraging to notice how Jesus treated people whether it be the woman of the streets or the
tax collector in the tree. He saw something no one else could see” (Sermons.com, King Duncan).
Jesus saw Zacchaeus, not as the community labeled him, but as beloved child of God with a
heart ready to be transformed by grace. I believe Jesus sees us the same way.
I learned something new prepping this sermon. When Zacchaeus generously proclaims what he
will do, giving away half of his possessions to the poor and giving restitution to anyone he
defrauded, the translation states that in a future tense. Zacchaeus said, “I will give.” But in the
Greek, it is in present tense. “Zacchaeus’ statements mean that this commitment is ongoing, not
something he will do only once, and it may mean that he has already been doing these things”
(Working Preacher, Meda Stamper). If Zacchaeus is reporting his regular practice, saying, I give
to the poor, and I pay back when I have fallen short of my duties, then maybe we can make
generous commitments too. Giving to the church, supporting Christ’s mission, is a present tense
action. Something we do on an ongoing basis. Something we have done before and something
we will continue to do. We give because God loves us on an ongoing basis. We receive love
and grace on an ongoing basis. Today we are concluding our stewardship drive. I encourage
you to place your pledge card in the offering plate and help us have a successful stewardship
season.
So, I owe you an amends, when I chose my sermon title, I thought Zacchaeus had a change of
heart because he shared a meal with Jesus. But I am open to that not being the case. Maybe
Zacchaeus was more than a tax collector and was really a generous person who used his wealth
for the poor. Maybe Jesus saw him for who he was, called him by name, called him down from
the tree and invited himself over. Maybe that’s why Zacchaeus was happy to welcome Jesus and
why Jesus responds, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Jesus seeing Zacchaeus, truly
seeing him, not only helped him but his entire household. “Zacchaeus is not the rich chief tax
collector we all assumed he was. He, too, is a son of Abraham. Even the tax collector belongs.
Even Zacchaeus has a place” (Working Preacher, Eric Barreto).
We all are about to share a meal with Jesus. We invite Jesus to our church home and are so
grateful that Jesus is our host. But let’s remember, the crowd grumbled when Jesus was going to
Zacchaeus’ home because they believed he was a sinner. I find a great deal of comfort in that.
Because I do not come to this table as a perfect person, I will not be sharing this meal with Jesus
as someone without sin. And yet Jesus saw past Zacchaeus’ sins, and he sees past yours and
mine. Jesus saw Zacchaeus, not as the community labeled him, but as beloved child of God
with a heart ready to be transformed by grace. Because just like Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “you
too are a son of Abraham” we are each a child of God. We are beloved children of God,
brothers and sisters of Jesus and blessed members of this church family. Because of our faith,
because of who Jesus is, and because of God’s love for us, we belong. When we come to Christ’s
table, we are seen for who we are, we are sharing in God’s gifts. In this sacred moment we are
eating with Jesus. Eating with Jesus can make us want to be generous, make us want to make
amends, helps us to joyfully receive Jesus afresh and live in salvation and grace.
It makes me wonder how many people around us are waiting for someone to look at them the
way Jesus looked at Zacchaeus: not with suspicion or scorn, but with the love that restores
belonging. In every meal we share, every table we set, we have the opportunity to see
others—and ourselves—the way Christ does: not as the world names us, but as those who have
always belonged in the family of God. Amen.
