David Bahn – Reflections

He entered Jericho and was passing through. ² And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³ And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. ⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶ So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. ⁷ And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” ⁸ And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” ⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

If we think of the “little man complex” in his case, it could explain why he pursued a position that gave him authority and control, even if it made him unpopular. His actions—climbing a tree to see Jesus—could also reflect both his resourcefulness and his deep longing for something beyond status or wealth.

But what makes Zacchaeus’ story remarkable is that Jesus sees him differently—not as a man compensating for his height or social status, but as a lost soul in need of grace.

And what a difference grace makes. Better yet, and more accurate: what a difference Jesus makes! Jesus not only sees Zacchaeus as lost, but acts in his behalf, inviting himself into Zacchaeus’ house. “I must stay at your house today,” is more than a strong request. It is an intrusion into Zacchaeus’ life. Jesus will insert himself into Zacchaeus’ life and Zacchaeus will be remarkably changed.

There is a little Greek nuance here in the phrase, “I must stay” at your house. The word for “must” (δεῖ) is a powerful little word. It is the word Jesus uses when he says, “It is necessary” that the Son of Man go up to Jerusalem to suffer and die. No option here. In this case the necessity is that Jesus would not just go to Zacchaeus’ house. He “must stay” at his house. The powerful implication of “must stay” is that Jesus is not just making a friendly visit. He is enacting God’s mission—to enter the home (and heart) of a sinner. The emphasis is not on how long Jesus stays, but that he does stay, decisively and graciously.

And the little man becomes a big man. Big in receiving God’s grace. Big in having a changed heart. Big in generosity. Big because Christ has come and stayed in his home and will remain in his heart. This man, little in stature, becomes big in the example he gives us of what it means to have Jesus remain with us. We may not need to give half of our possessions to the poor, or return four times of what we have defrauded others. But we can certainly give thanks to God, recognize Jesus as Lord, and rejoice that Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Our story may not be as dramatic as Zacchaeus’ story. But Jesus’ grace is as far reaching, and our salvation is just as extraordinary. And his presence in our hearts and lives is just as gracious.

[NOTE: I will be preaching today at St. John’s Lenten worship services, 11 AM and 7 PM. This is the text I will use and I will expand on these thoughts. Thanks for letting me cogitate on this with you through this blog post!]