Proper 26
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus. But, as the children’s song says, he
couldn’t because he “was a wee little man.” He just wanted to be able to see Jesus, but because he was
“short in stature” he couldn’t see over the crowds.
This reminds me of a story from decades ago in my own life. When I was in college I used
to take the train into New York City to go to the opera. The Metropolitan Opera in New York
sells standing room tickets the day of the performance. (The only way I could afford opera at
the time!) There are special
places for standing room… high
rails/banisters with numbers on them.
So you get a specific spot at the rail, either in the back of the main floor or in
the back of the upper upper upper balcony.
The opera was Donizetti’s Elixir of Love and Luciano Pavarotti was singing. One of his signature roles. I had a standing room ticket in the
upper balcony, several miles from the stage. For some reason I had not brought my
binoculars. The tenor has a big
showcase aria in that opera.
Earlier on, the lady standing next to me passed me her binoculars. Unasked… I had never seen or met her before… As the big aria approached I offered them
back to her, but she whispered, “No, you keep them so you can see Mr.
Pavarotti.” So I watched him for a
little bit, and then returned her binoculars. That was the only time I ever saw Pavarotti live.
She wanted me to see the great tenor. She helped me see.
No one helped Zacchaeus see. Nobody lifted Zacchaeus up so he could see, or got him a
stool, or made way for him so he could move up front, or got him one of those
contraptions that lets you see over walls or out of trenches or over crowds. No one helped Zacchaeus see Jesus.
The crowd blocked his sight. The crowd is a part of the story. Later on they will be incensed when Jesus favors
Zacchaeus. At this point in the
story, they block him from seeing Jesus.
As I think about placing myself in this story, I would have
been in the crowd. I would not
have been in the close circle as a disciple of Jesus. I’m not the impetuous sort who would have dropped everything
to chase after an itinerant preacher.
Not until I knew more. I certainly
don’t think of myself as the tax collector Zacchaeus…
I would have been in the crowd. Among those who went out to see Jesus when he came to
town. Curious, drawn by some
internal urging. Looking, yearning
for something. Eager to see this
Jesus.
Zacchaeus was among that crowd eager to see Jesus. But the people in the crowd didn’t care
if he could see Jesus or not. At
best they didn’t care. At worst
they enjoyed blocking his sight.
Remember tax collectors were worse than scum in those days. And Zacchaeus was a head tax collector. As the story reminds us, tax collectors
were Jews, children of Abraham.
But Jews who extorted money from their own people on behalf of the
occupying Roman government. They
were both political traitors and vile sinners under Jewish law. I can’t really think of a similar
example today.
Imagining myself in this story I don’t know if I would have
helped Zacchaeus see Jesus.
Probably not.
What about you?
At the very least the crowd was clueless to Zacchaeus’
needs. They were certainly more
interested and focused on their own self-centered desire to see Jesus. At worst they willfully shunned him
because he was despicable to them.
It’s easy for me to feel convicted by this passage. It’s harder for me to understand specifically
what it means for me, for us, today.
What more faithful stance is it calling us to?
The first question to ask is: How do we block or impede other peoples’ desire to see
Jesus?
Speaking as a life-long Episcopalian, for years the church
marginalized children’s access and participation. They were prohibited from receiving Jesus in Communion and
often kept out of worship. We’re
better now, but still have a good ways to go.
Also, most Christian congregations today self-select
membership in subtle, subconscious ways, discouraging people who are not “like
us.” “Like us” may be defined very
differently in different congregations.
But congregations self-select membership keeping away people who don’t fit.
At the very least, this story is a challenge to be less
self-centered in worship. We joke,
but seriously, it means offering (!) your
pew to a visitor. Offering. Not just tolerating. Offering, inviting, a newcomer to use
your pew. It means celebrating
music that may not be your favorite, but that other people find inspiring. It means welcoming all sorts of language
in worship if other people find it prayerful.
More generally, it is a call throughout life to move from
self-centeredness to generosity of spirit. Generosity of spirit.
To show generosity of spirit, especially towards people who are
different or even despicable. Act
with generosity of spirit. Be a
conduit for Jesus’ love and grace to flow to others, not a barrier. Act with generosity of spirit. That’s what people who really see and
know Jesus do.
And, God knows, the world needs more generosity of spirit
right now. Show kindness and care
towards people who are on “the other side” of whatever the battle of the moment
happens to be.
Love your neighbor as yourself. Even the ones you don’t like. Help them see Jesus.
