Zaccheus
In the presence of Jesus, Zacchaeus, the little man with a big story, found
out who he, really was and,what he was made for. That’s the way it is with
Jesus.
His big story wasn’t impressive. The whole town knew of his corruption,
and his exploitation, Many could tell a story of being diddled by him into
paying more tax than was just. He carried this burden all the time and
somehow the arrival of Jesus impelled him to climb a tree so that his life
would be changed. Our stories are all a mixture of good and evil. We carry
burdens of guilt and sin and hurt and anger. We need to get free and be the
self we can be.
Zaccheus found he wasn’t the mean person he had been showing all his
life. He found that restoration of ill-gotten gains, and a promise to help his
neighbour, would bring more happiness than his past. He found in meeting
Jesus the acceptance that allowed him to change, to go public on his
change, and to continue a changed life no matter what others thought.
He was made for community, belonging and sharing; not for isolation,
loneliness and greed. He knew now he was made for love for he found himself loved by God in Jesus, so that the one everyone
was talking about visited his house now.