See You in Jericho? Part 2

At the beginning of the 19th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is passing through Jericho. It’s not his destination and he senses that his hour is near. No time to stop now. The slow, steady ascent to Jerusalem still lies ahead. 

The chief tax collector for the area, wealthy and despised, is a little man named Zacchaeus. He has a very comfortable life, in terms of having things, thanks to his collaboration with the Roman oppressors. It’s a job. Somebody will do it. So why not him? 

Zacchaeus, who needs to be up on all the news, hears that this “Jesus”  and his entourage is in town. This is a spectacle that Zacchaeus does not want to miss. He’s heard all kinds of differing reports – even this far south of Galilee – so that he just has to see Jesus for himself. 

The crowd is too big and Zacchaeus too small. He cannot see. He knows the town and runs ahead on the route Jesus must take and climbs a sycamore tree. 

Jesus, and the crowd with him, stops. Jesus looks up, sees Zacchaeus out on a limb and calls to him,”Zacchaeus, come down. I need to stay with you today.” Zacchaeus looks into Jesus’ eyes and sees himself reflected there in a whole new way. Is this who he truly is?

Zacchaeus, overjoyed, quickly climbs down and wholeheartedly welcomes Jesus into his home. The crowd reacts, murmuring angrily that this holy “prophet” would consent to receive hospitality from a public sinner. Zacchaeus, standing tall, responds by offering half of what he owns to the poor and to repay any he has cheated fourfold. What has happened?

Jesus saw what was in Zacchaeus’s heart and knew that the way in was to ask him for help. This request coming from need opened Zacchaeus to healing and liberation. Zacchaeus did see Jesus. Jesus interrupted his urgent journey. Zacchaeus received a new sense of himself and of his life.

What are we willing to do to see Jesus?  How does the crowd obscure our vision of what is true and good? What do we need to let go of in order to welcome Jesus into the intimacy of our heart?