30 October 2016 - climber change

[ Today's Readings ]

Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 

Do we ever feel like we get lost in the crowd? Do we feel like we are behind a multitude of people who can see Jesus clearly while we ourselves can't see him? Self-pity keeps us behind all the others. It believes the worst about the situation. It assumes that this is deserved and so irreparable. But instead, let us embrace the desire and humility of Zacchaeus. He wants to see Jesus and he isn't going to let a crowd stop him.

So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.

When he finds Jesus he discovers that his desire for Jesus, the desire that even made him climb a tree, was something Jesus placed in his heart in the first place. Of course such a desire is honored and rewarded.

When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.” 

The LORD loathes nothing that he makes. He would not have fashioned something he hated. This means that we aren't terminally unique. Even if the crowd is pressing in front of us and we can't see Jesus right now that doesn't mean we're the one person he doesn't love. Rather, Jesus wants to see us as much as anyone along his way. The LORD is a lover of souls for his imperishable spirit is in all things. There must be a reason why he is calling forth greater desire from Zacchaeus than the rest of the crowd. It could simply be that Zacchaeus is at a place in his life where he is ready to make a big change. He knows what he was doing isn't working. His desire is strong and ready to be tested.

And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 

...

But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”

The Son of Man wants to seek and save the lost. He himself makes us worthy of the calling. He himself brings to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith that the name of our LORD Jesus may be glorified in us and we in him. Let's not let a tree stand in our way.

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.