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 Standard Version)

Thoughts

It started with the little cupboards at the front of the caravan, then the bolts on the backdoor, the window in the conservatory, the shelf with the tea bags, mirrors in cloakrooms, and even the coat hooks in the hall. Have you guessed it? They were all out of my reach, so there I was dragging around a small stool to be able to get to them. Ever since I grew up I have mentally grumbled "Stupid men, why can't you see that half the population are only small!" (sorry gentlemen!) and of course as I have got older I have lost height. I have a great desire to live in a house with everything within my reach.

So here is Zacchaeus, a small man who climbs a tree to see Jesus. He's probably suffered all his life because of his stature, which must surely have been pretty short. Not just that, he may well have had 'short-person syndrome' where someone compensates for this by being unnaturally assertive. Certainly as a Jew he has chosen the most hated of jobs, tax collecting for the Romans, and probably fleecing everyone in order to make a profit. For there is no such thing as a poor tax-collector. Yet something about Jesus attracts Zacchaeus and he follows him. For Jesus to eat in the house of such a sinner was beyond belief. It was such an honour that Zacchaeus offers half his possessions to the poor, and restitution to anyone was has been defrauded.

Today, when we come to God, aware of our own failings He takes us as we are, warts and all. Slowly we begin to change - although I'm not likely to get taller, the opposite in fact - but hopefully God will mould me into the person He would have me be.

Lord Jesus,
we are drawn to Your essential goodness,
and we love the stories about Your life,
but often, unlike Zacchaeus,
we are slow to make a commitment.
May we learn from his example
that You welcome all who come to You
and who confess their sin.
Help us to be as quick to change our life,
and to offer You true allegiance.
Amen.