Go Climb a Tree!

(Luke 19:1-10) (37th Sunday after Pentecost)

Everyone can picture how this story starts, right? A man goes to see an event, but can’t, because he’s too short to see over the crowd. So he climbs a tree to take a look; and lo and behold, the person at the center of attention spots him in the tree and tells him to come down quickly, because he’s going to stay at the short guy’s house. Not only is he short – he’s also quite unpopular, because he’s a tax collector. In fact, he’s the chief tax collector for his area. The celebrity’s visit makes quite an impact on the short tax collector: because he gives half his wealthy – which is apparently considerable – to the poor; and promises to restore four times what he took unlawfully from anyone.

Chances are, nobody here works as a tax collector; and the number of people here who would climb a tree to see a parade or other event is probably pretty small; as is the chance of having a celebrity call you and tell you that they are coming to visit your house. Sure, it could happen… But it isn’t likely. So what are we to make of this story about Zacchaeus and our Lord Jesus Christ?

Publicans – tax collectors – were reviled, for the most part in the time of our Lord’s Incarnation, because they not only made their living at the expense of others; they usually did so by stealing, collecting more than they were required to obtain, and keeping the extra amount. As such, Zacchaeus, as the chief publican, was chief in wickedness. When we are engaged in sins and wickedness, or even when we are just deeply attached to this material world, we become very small spiritually – and then we can’t see for the crowd of the passions and the entanglement of worldly concerns that have grown up around us. As such, we can’t, by ourselves, see Jesus – we can’t see Him present and active and moving in our midst; and we won’t recognize the things done in His name, done for the love of Him Who so loves us, as being Christian actions. Something must change – something in us must be transformed.

By the grace of God, something happens to arouse us from our slumber, from our focus on this world and its pleasures and pursuits, stirring us to see. It is then that we begin to recognize that we are unable to see on our own, and we try to climb to a higher place. In doing so, we can see the Lord, Who has already seen us – and He warns us to come down, that is, to be humble, lest we fall in our pride, and so are lost. If we will humble ourselves, He says, He will come to abide with us.

If we will do so – if we will allow Him to enter under the roof of our souls, and dwell in us, and cleanse us of all impurity, we have hope that we can begin to be set free from pride, and our passions, and our material possessions. Indeed, being set free of them, we can begin to use them as God has intended, not only for ourselves, but on behalf of others as well: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting the sick, and those in prison; and providing as well for the worship of God and the needs of the church.

Our Lord comes to us when we humble ourselves, and, in humility of spirit, confess our sins, and admit our weakness, and our wickedness, and humbly ask Him to help and save us. As He is present in our lives, we see the need to be transformed, to be cleansed of our sinful ways and habits – and so we take up the broom of the Orthodox way of life: praying, and fasting, and giving, and working to replace our passions with virtues: courage, prudence, righteousness, and self-control. When we fail, and fall, we repent, and confess, and put our trust and hope in Him once more. In this way, as did Abraham of old, who believed God, as had his faith counted unto him as righteousness, we leave the house of our father, the devil, and the wickedness of his domain, and enter into the house – that is, the family – of Abraham. Once in his house, we, also, become sons of Abraham, and find salvation for our souls.

Brothers and sisters! Although we may be spiritually short because of our sins, we have the opportunity to stand tall for the faith! Let us repent, and confess our sins. Let us leave behind our sinful ways, and work to put right what we have done wrong. Let us begin by desiring to see Christ; and, when He calls us to be humble and open our hearts to Him, let us be quick, indeed, to respond.