Reflections for Youth - Look for Your Tree

Our Gospel story this week from Luke is pretty familiar. You might know the story from the children's song we teach kids in church. 

"Zacchaeus was a wee little man
 and a wee little man was he." 

The story goes that Jesus was passing through Jericho and Zacchaeus, who is identified in the Bible as being short, climbs a tree so he can get a look at Jesus. Jesus sees him in the tree and says "Hey - I am coming to your house to stay." 

Read Luke 19: 1-9. 

As I reread this story, I think there is so much more here to focus on besides Zacchaeus being short. I mean, it is an important detail because it's one of the reasons that he climbs the sycamore tree. 

And as a fellow short person, I can relate. I get it. I see you Zacchaeus.  I mean, this is usually my view at a concert or a parade: 

Photo from Google Image

I think the bigger deal is more about who Zacchaeus was and how he was known in Jericho. 

Take a second and think about someone nobody likes.

I'll wait. 

See - that didn't take any time at all.

Zacchaeus was one of those people. He was a rich tax collector and nobody liked tax collectors in Jericho. Not only that, but the scripture says he was the chief tax collector. The money Zacchaeus collected from the people in Jericho went to the Romans. And he could take even more money than needed and keep some for himself. That’s how tax collectors earned their living. People did not like or trust them because most of them kept a lot for themselves.  Zacchaeus is part of the corrupt system of economic oppression.

So, when he goes to the road to see Jesus I am guessing that being short was just a little part of the problem.  (Pun intended!) The crowd maybe didn't let him have a prime spot because nobody liked him and didn't care if he could see Jesus.  

(I wonder if the Pittsburgh thing of putting out a chair to save your spot would have worked back then? But I digress...)

Jesus sees him in that tree, calls him by name, and tells him that he’s coming over to stay at his house.

And Zaccheaus says “Whaaaat?”

And the crowd that had gathered probably said “Whaaat?”

Because Jesus saw someone who everyone despised and called him by name.

Luke tells us that Zacchaeus stands before Jesus (Joyfully in some translations) and says that he will repay what he has taken from people and even give them more.  He is moved to repent.  Then Jesus tells him that God wants everyone to be part of God’s family and to care for others.

So, instead of this story being about a short guy who climbs a tree - perhaps it's about searching for God and being recognized by God.  If you think about it - it's pretty ridiculous for someone of Zacchaeus' wealth in the community to be willing to climb a tree and look foolish.  But he's obviously searching for something - searching for Jesus.

And Jesus is looking for him, too.  He looks up and invites himself over to the house of someone who is an outcast - reminding us of God's relentless search for us.  

This story is yet another example of how time and time again Jesus acts against social expectations and religious tradition by associating with those people that nobody likes. 

We can interpret this story in many ways - but here is what I am thinking about this week:  We don't have to climb a tree to see Jesus. This story reminds us that God will find us anyway.  We just need to be willing to come down and meet Jesus on the ground.

But, if we are feeling lost in the crowd and can not see God - we should look for our tree. 

Some questions for the week: 

How have you been welcomed into a friend's home?
How do you welcome someone into your home?
Who can you think of in today's society that might be like Zacchaeus?
Have there been times where have felt like Zacchaeus?