Jesus had just entered Jericho. There was a man in that town who was named Zaccheus. Zaccheus was despised and mistrusted. He was a tax collector for the Roman government. Once he collected what Rome wanted, he was free to bilk the people of as much as he wanted which he did becoming wealthy on the backs of the already poor people of Jericho.

Zaccheus had heard that Jesus was passing through town. Like the other townspeople Zaccheus rushed to the road where Jesus would be travelling. Zaccheus was short in stature. This crowd wasn’t about to help him to get a spot to see Jesus. After much jostling with the towns folk and jumping up and down to get a vantage point to see Jesus, an idea dawned on Zaccheus: I’ll climb a tree. He had a great view now – from above the crowd.

He could see Jesus approaching. Finally Jesus was about to pass the tree where Zaccheus was clinging to a branch. But Jesus didn’t continue. He stopped and looked up. One can only guess what Zaccheus was thinking as he looked down into Jesus’ gaze. What came next astounded him still more. Jesus said, “Zaccheus get down out of there and take me to your house. I’m going to have dinner with you tonight.”

Zaccheus jumped down and took Jesus to his home. Some of the folks in the crowd began clucking saying things like, “Did you see that?! Jesus went to the house of a sinner.” As if they weren’t sinners, too! You can almost hear the implied comment from the crowd (although Luke doesn’t include it): “We are much better than Zaccheus! Jesus should have come home with one of us.”

Regardless Jesus went home with Zaccheus. This encounter with the loving presence of this Jesus, transformed Zaccheus. He said to Jesus: "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." (Luke 19:8, NRSV) Jesus simply replied: "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10  For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost." (Luke 19:9-10, NRSV)

Many in the crowd were so concerned about reputations and what others might think and say, that they were unable to show hospitality to this hated Zaccheus. Jesus had no such concerns. He saw in Zaccheus a child of God, a sinner like everyone else, but a sinner loved by a God who sought his transformation not his destruction. And so he went with Zaccheus, loved him, and enabled a revolution in his spirit. What a wonderful model for our own hospitality as we reach out in a world that is populated by many people, some of whom we don’t like nor trust. God’s love can transform even the most wretched sinner. We might just be the one to call our Zaccheus out of the tree so that we can share the love and mercy of God.

Thought to ponder:
Who is Zaccheus for you in the world today?