Zacchaeus Sunday

A sermon written for Zacchaeus Sunday 2013 

Gospel: Luke 19:1-10

Glory to Jesus Christ!

In today’s Gospel we are given a portrait of a man and mankind. Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, a publican of the worst order, a fellow Jewish countryman to Jesus and the Apostles who made a dishonest living off of the poor, exploiting his fellow Jews, and working for the Roman occupation.

Through his choice of livelihood Zacchaeus had made himself an outcast, a rich outcast. He weighed monetary gain over community. Working for the Roman Empire he would have always been ritually unclean and thus be barred from the temple and worship.

What did Zacchaeus show Christ that caught His attention? He climbed a sycamore tree…

In the robes that they wore at the time especially the nice, expensive ones that Zacchaeus was probably wearing how silly would it have looked! To have a grown man, in a fine robe scrambling up a tree!

The Church Fathers like to play with the word sycamore it sounds a lot like sophomore which means “wise-fool” Zacchaeus was this wise-fool. Through his terrible life choices he had chosen the path of worldly gain instead of friendship and community.

But he was still searching. There was his wisdom. He was wise enough to know that he was missing something and he didn’t care what he looked like finding out. Christ was what he had been looking for.

From the Gospel accounts Christ did not give Zacchaeus penance, nor a list of things to do to make his life right. It was the encounter with Christ that changed his heart.

It is the encounter with Christ that changes our hearts. When we respond to the call of Christ to abide with us; when we partake of His Body and Blood at Communion, and He abides in us, and we abide in Him. And we are open and searching for that which is missing.

We are changed. We will do those things we need to do bring ourselves into communion and community with our brothers and sisters. This is why Christ came to Zacchaeus and why He comes to us.

If we will only come down from our sycamore tree, and step away from those foolish things which separate us from the love of God, Christ will truly abide with us.

For he came seek and save that which is lost. Amen.