Let’s say you hear that Michelle Obama is going to give a talk at McCormick Place. You situate yourself on King Drive so that you will be able to catch sight of her. Maybe you climb up the fence by the McDonalds to get a clearer view. As her entourage passes by she notices you and stops the limo. She comes over and says, “I’m coming to your house for dinner.” What are the chances of that happening? Something not that dissimilar happened in Jericho, circa 30AD. Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus house for dinner. Notice that Zacchaeus did NOT sent Jesus an engraved invitation with an RSVP and self-addressed, stamped envelope included, requesting the honor of Jesus’ company. Zacchaeus didn’t invite Jesus at all – Jesus crashed the party himself. If Zacchaeus knew that Jesus was coming he would have shown off by putting out the best china and cloth napkins. He would have made sure everything was clean and tidy. Maybe he even put an arrangement of flowers on the table to create a spirit of hospitality. “Welcome to my house,” Zacchaeus would have said. But St. Luke makes it clear it wasn’t that Zacchaeus invited Jesus. Rather, Jesus invited himself! “Zacchaeus, today I must stay at your house.” It was not planned. Luke insists that Jesus “intended to pass through the town.” When an opportunity presented itself, Jesus invited himself into the house, into the life of Zacchaeus. Jesus wants to do the same thing with us.
Jesus invited himself to dinner at Zacchaeus’ house because he saw he was running short. He was “short in stature,” height-challenged, down-sized. Jesus could see that his being short made him feel inadequate, not measuring up, lacking, imperfect. Zacchaeus would never dream of inviting Jesus to the home of such as him. So Jesus invited himself. Church, we can easily excuse ourselves that we aren’t closer to Jesus because we are “too” something. Maybe not too short, but too busy. I’d like to be more prayerful but I just don’t have the time. Maybe not too short but too ordinary. Meeting Jesus is not for the likes of me. I’m just a schmuck from Bronzeville. I don’t mess with things beyond me. Maybe not too short but too damaged. I have done things in my life or things have been done to me that have impacted me in negative ways. How can I get close to Jesus after that? Of course, the lesson of Zacchaeus is that no matter what we are “too” of Jesus can look beyond it and still want to have dinner with us. Jesus wants to burst into our lives and say “I must stay with you – busy, ordinary, damaged you.”
Jesus invited himself to the house of Zacchaeus because he saw he was up a tree. Now Zacchaeus had climbed the tree voluntarily but being up a tree mostly means that you’re in trouble. The squirrel scampers up a tree when the dogs come after it. In the cartoons when a wolf is after someone they climb a tree to get away from the biting and the clawing. Or maybe someone climbs a tree because a flood is coming and they are trying to get above the rising water. Perhaps Jesus saw that the fact that Zacchaeus was up a tree meant he was in trouble. He had to climb a tree because he was hated by his neighbors since he was a tax collector. He felt isolated, alone, misunderstood, picked upon, judged. When no one likes you then loneliness and isolation creep in. Does that sound familiar in your life? Jesus crashed the party at Zacchaeus’ house to let him know he was loved just as he was and he will do so with us.
Jesus invited himself to hang with Zacchaeus because he appreciated the fact that Zacchaeus went out on a limb, took a risk, made himself vulnerable, in order to see him. When we go out on a limb we are taking a chance. Zacchaeus went out on limb for Jesus and Jesus did the same for him. We go out on a limb whenever we take the risk of forgiving someone who hurt us. We make ourselves vulnerable to being hurt again but find it can be worth it. We go out on a limb when we give of our time to help others. We don’t know if it will do any good or not but we’re willing to take the chance. We go out on a limb when we don’t let racist or misogynist talk go on in our presence. People might accuse us of being woke or something but not letting that lack of charity continue is worth the risk. When we go out on a limb Jesus notices and invites himself into our hearts. He wants to be with those who take the gospel seriously enough to act upon it.
Notice that Jesus doesn’t put any pre-conditions or have any expectations when we invited himself to the house of Zacchaeus. However, after Jesus invited himself to spend time with Zacchaeus a change came over him. He realized that he couldn’t remain as he was, that having Jesus in his home makes it a different place and him a different person. He wanted his home and his heart to reflect the presence of Jesus. “I’m going to give half my possessions to the poor,” Zacchaeus says. “I shall repay four times over anyone I extorted.” We, like Zacchaeus, become different as a result of the presence of Jesus in our lives. The two concrete steps that Zacchaeus took are ones that we can emulate as well. Since Jesus dwells with us we too must care for the poor. Those who are hurting have a claim on us because they bear a family resemblance to Jesus. We respond to the presence of Jesus in our lives by reaching out our hand in care. And, we must also make amends for any harm we might have caused. All of us have done things which we regret. Zacchaeus was going to repay four times over for any harm he might have caused. We must make amends for all the hateful, ugly, bitter things we’ve said and done. The point of the encounter was not for Zacchaeus to say, “Welcome to my house.” It was for him to hear Jesus say to him, “Welcome into my Father’s house. Welcome into the new thing that God is doing in you.”