Are you ready for another one?  Another of Luke’s unique stories about the Lost, the last and the least?

            You know this story, perhaps.  Sung about it in Sunday School when you were a child. 

            “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.  He climbed up in the Sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see.  And the Lord said to him, Zacchaeus, you come down!  For I’m going to your house today.  For I’m going to your house today!

            Here’s how Luke tells the story:

            ¹Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
            ⁵When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today."  ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
            ⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "
            ⁸But 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."
            ⁹Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

            Okay, first off, Luke tells us right away that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  Not exactly what would come to mind when we think of the least, the last and the lost, right?

            Well, it bears repeating how tax collectors were viewed then.   We just automatically think of IRS agents.  But remember...Israel is occupied by Roman soldiers.  They are not invited guests.  Israel is part of the Roman empire because they were conquered by Roman armies.   And now, these armies remain here, in what we call the Holy Land as “peace-keeping” forces.  There are also Roman governors who rule these provincial territories, like Israel.

            Now, how does Rome pay for these armies and governors and the like?  They tax the people of Israel.   And how will they make sure the people of Israel pay up?  They solicit some individuals, perhaps even coerce them into becoming their tax collectors. 

            You’ve heard the old saying, corruption begets corruption.  The tax collectors make their living collecting taxes for Rome, by assessing and collecting additional taxes, whatever they can get, for their own pockets. 

            Suppose Japan, after Pearl Harbor had won the war.  Now, imagine large Japanese armies throughout the United States, and Japanese governors, not elected but appointed by Japan to govern us.

            Now then, imagine Japan paying for the occupying forces and the government it takes to run our country by taxing the natural born US citizens.  Of course, the tax is more than what it takes to pay for the army, and the government and the services the people need.  There is more that goes to the Emperor of Japan because, well, Emperors like nice things after all.   Finally, imagine natural born U.S. citizens who become agents for the Japanese government, working to collect those taxes, and adds on his or her own 10 or 15 % for the trouble of doing such despicable work.

            Okay.  Got it?

            That’s a biblical tax collector.

            Do you understand why they ate alone.  Or ate with the other riff raff of the culture.  The prostitutes, the rogues, thieves, and such?

            Now then,  last week we had a story told about tax collectors.

            This week, we have Jesus’ encounter with a CHIEF tax collector.  You hear what Luke is saying?  CHIEF tax collector.  The really, really awful scoundrel.

            And what else does Luke say?  The CHIEF tax collector is RICH.   And we know how he made his money, don’t we?

            You see, what he’s done is permissible under the law, but it’s disgusting.  It’s damnable.

            Let’s go on with the story.

            This CHIEF tax collector is curious about Jesus, maybe the agents in the field have reported to him how this Jesus fellow has a habit of talking about tax collectors, even has been known to eat with one or two.

            Don’t know why he is so curious, but he wants to see who this fellow is and what he’s about.  Trouble is, and this is a very ironic part in the story, this CHIEF tax collector, this really, really BIG sinner, is in fact, a rather small little man.  A wee little man.

            Get the joke?

            The biggest, most horrendous sinner of them all, is...Danny DeVito!  Or, at least that’s how I picture him.  Sort of like DeVito’s “Louie” character from Taxi.

            And he’s so short, he has to climb a tree to get a view.

            And so, we have the CHIEF tax collector, a wee little man, up a tree, trying to get a fix on Jesus.

            Up a tree.

            That’s where we often find people who live ungodly lives though, isn’t it?  Up a tree?  Out on a limb?              No, Zacchaeus isn’t alone up in the tree, is he?   There you’re apt to find just about anyone.  Look, up there in the leafy branches, and you’ll see self-made men and women.  Pockets bulging with cash, but hearts empty and heads swimming.  Look up, and there, see?  There’s those who have sold out...seduced by a “me first” generation that lives out entitlement like no other.   And there...hard to see, not just because of the tree and it’s branches, but the bulging bag of guilt that they are trying to carry up there.  Knowing their lives are not what they hoped they’d be, but unable to let go of the guilt and worse, unable to stop the behavior that produces such baggage.  All up in the tree.  Yep, parents who aren’t always able to do what is best for their kids because that would interfere with satisfying their own desires.   And over there, those who long to live a life with meaning, but who cannot trust themselves to deny their own wants and desires so that another’s needs might be fulfilled.

            The ungodly, the unloved and the unwanted.  Up a tree.   The selfish, the self-absorbed, and the self-abused.  Up a tree. 

            What are they doing up in the tree?

            Hiding, for one.  It’s easier, when you’re not exactly the most popular person at the party, to find a quiet and hidden place to bide your time.

            But also, searching.  Zacchaeus is a voyeur.  He wants to watch.  He’s interested enough to take notice, but wants to be able to do so from a perch, from a place that is out of sight.

            Finally, Zacchaeus and the others are in the tree, because they are the very types of folks who are always climbing up.  Short in stature.   In need of an advantage.  In need a leg up, so to speak.  And so, one begins to climb.  And climb.    Like a scared kitten who has climbed and climbed and climbed and now doesn’t know how to get back down safely. 

            Luke tells the story so quickly.  Jesus comes and stops below the tree.  Looks up, and calls Zacchaeus by name.  How did he know it? 

            Calls out, “Zacchaeus, you come down.”  Just like in the children’s song.

            “Zacchaeus, you come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

            And that’s all Zacchaeus needed to hear.  His name...and his mission.

            Do you hear it?

            His name....”Zacchaeus!”   And his mission.  “I need you to put me up for the night.”

            And immediately, Zacchaeus comes down. 

            And then, Zacchaeus grows up!

            Comes down from his perch, and grows into the kind of person God created him to be!

            Someday we’ll have to talk about the people on the ground.  Those who are muttering and can’t believe their eyes that Jesus, a rabbi and teacher has just invited himself to stay at the home of a CHIEF tax collector.  There’s something in this story for all of us.  Those up a tree, and those with both feet planted firmly on the ground, but we’ll go there another time.

            Today, I want to stick with Zacchaeus. 

            If you didn’t catch it, the rest of the story takes place in Zacchaeus’ house.  The people all grumble, “he has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”  So they are gone.  Then you have Zacchaeus standing up.  They have been at the table, apparently.  Reclining, eating.

            And Zacchaeus stands up.  Time for a toast.  To say what a marvelous day this has been.  To give compliments to your guests, to wish them well for their journey ahead.  Zacchaeus stands up. 

            But a toast isn’t what he has in mind.

            From the time he heard his own name come from the lips of Jesus, something has been at work in Zacchaeus’ heart, I think.  From the moment he heard the Lord call to him, “Come down!” something has been happening inside of him.

            Zacchaeus stands up.  And he says, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor.

            Remember, he was rich?  Half of it all to the poor.  This was a remarkable gift.  But that’s not all.  Listen what Zacchaeus has in mind to do with the other half of his estate. 

            “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."   If?  If?  Wait a minute.  Remember what Luke told us?  Zacchaeus was a tax collector.  And we know what that means.  And he was rich.  We know what that means.  We know how he got his money.

            He cheated all right.  And now, the Lord is his witness how he intends to make it right, right with those he hurt, and right with God.

            ⁹Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

            A couple of observations.

            Jesus, if you read through this story, not once, never once condemns Zacchaeus, judges him or tells him what he must, ought or should do.  You notice that?  Jesus, NOT ONCE tries to shame the tax collector or make him do anything.

            All Jesus does is call out Zacchaeus’ name.  And lets Zacchaeus know that he had something Jesus could use.

            Jesus calls out Zacchaeus’ name.  And he give him a mission.

            That’s all.

            And it completely transforms Zacchaeus’ life.

            The church, as it attempts to live as the body of Christ in the world today, sometimes isn’t as efficient as  Jesus was.   The church, seems to me, often tries to tell people what they ought to do, what they should do, what would make everything right with God.  The church, and preachers especially think its their job to name sin and make people quit it.  I know I’m guilty.

            Maybe we should take our cue from Jesus.  Call out the names of those who live lives far from the kingdom, and simply tell them the Lord has need of them. 

            We might be surprised how many will drop from the trees when we do.

            And as the acceptance and love of Christ is experienced in lives that have been hungry, in lives that have been smothered in guilt, in lives self-absorbed in indulgence....perhaps lives will be transformed, refashioned, born anew.

            A beautiful song came out of the Iona Christian Community, written by John Bell.   We’re going to sing it in a moment.

            Now, I know how many of us all feel about new hymns.  We get lost in the new music.  We struggle to get the rhythm right.

            But I want you to trust me.   This song, set to a lilting Scottish tune, will, for many, become an instant favorite.

            First, I want you to hear the words, all the words, so that they won’t be lost in the awkwardness of singing a song for the first time.

            Listen to these stirring words:

 THE SUMMONS

[1] Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don't know and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known, will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

 

[2] Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name? Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same? Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare? Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

 

[3] Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name? Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same? Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen, and admit to what I mean to you and you in me?

 

[4] Will you love the “you” you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around, through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

 

[5] Lord, your summons echoes true when you but call my name. Let me turn and follow you and never be the same. In your company I'll go where your love and footsteps show. Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

             "The Faith We Sing"; Copyright 2000 by Abingdon Press. Words by John Bell; Copyright 1987 WGRG The Iona Community (Scotland), admin. By GIA  Publications, Inc.

 Shall we sing it?