Thoughts for the Day

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 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.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

(Lectionary, New Revised New Testament)

Thoughts

I cannot reach the washing line! I stretch as hard as possible and it's still beyond my reach. It was always a stretch and I took to using a small plastic step, then a slightly taller step ...... but it's no good it's beyond my reach. Then there are the kitchen cupboards. The first shelf is a big stretch and the rest are too high. Perhaps I should develop "small woman syndrome" (venting loudly and authoritatively on everything!), but it still wouldn't help I would still only be able to see the top of my head in some mirrors.

You will see why I have sympathy with Zacchaeus. He had a big problem - he was small. He was never going to be able to see Jesus in the crowd of people who had gathered that day to catch sight of him as he passed through the town on his way to Jerusalem for the final weeks of his life. He wasn't sick so couldn't claim a place at the front of the queue in the hope that Jesus would heal him. He was just short! But he was a tax-collector working for the Romans and moreover he was a "chief" tax-collector probably responsible for the whole of Jericho's collection, so he had ingenuity and perseverance, as well as an immense desire to see Jesus, and he simply climbed a sycamore tree and perhaps shouted. The result was stunning for Jesus ate with those outsiders like Zacchaeus who were shunned because they were collaborators who also broke the Law of Moses, and Zacchaeus makes a promise to repay anyone he has defrauded.

This whole episode calls forth this wonderful promise in return from Jesus, who says: "For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." We are never shunned by God even when we feel lost, just try calling Him.

Lord Jesus,
sometimes we feel we cannot approach You,
and we make all kinds of excuses,
like, "We're not worthy",
or "I'll bother You about the big things".
Help us to remember that we just need to turn to You
for You want to be involved with our lives,
whatever the issue, whether a joy or a woe,
and are always calling out to us.
Amen.