Let's Be Curious About Zach's Decision
Jesus gives Zach a command, but he's still got a choice to make.
Do you remember where we left off in the story of our friend Zacchaeus?
The crowd was in the street under the tree, and Zach was hiding up there between the leaves trying not to be seen, but working really hard to see Jesus, and then Jesus stops, he looks up into the tree and he says…
“‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’” (Luke 19:5b)
Zach has a choice to make. Doesn’t he?
He could ignore Jesus and pretend to be invisible. Or he could call back down to Jesus and ask if Jesus could come over a different day, to give Zach enough time to tidy things up a bit. Or, he could throw all caution to the wind, slide down the tree in front of everyone, and welcome Jesus to his house gladly.
Y’all, can I say that Jesus says the same thing to each and every one of us. He says, “I want to be with you. I love you. Will you welcome me into your life?”
And just like Zach, we’ve got a choice.
First, we can ignore Jesus. Like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-30) we can act like we have it all together and just go on with our lives, which is really a decision to reject the invitation to follow Jesus.
Or, we can say, “You know what, Jesus? I don’t think I want that right now. I’m not good enough to have a relationship with you yet! Maybe once I’m older or have my life in order a little bit better, then I’ll decide to follow you.”
Can I be honest with you? Both of those choices are saying “no” to a life of following Jesus and both of those choices means you are still living life outside the saving grace Jesus offers us in him.
But, there’s a third choice, and that’s to hear Jesus say your name, to hear Jesus say he wants to be with you, and to respond by joyfully accepting Jesus invitation!
And, that’s exactly what our little friend Zach did!
“So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.” (Luke 19:6)
Can we be curious about this scene again?
What did those in the crowd think about all this, as they watched Zach slide down from where he was perched in the tree?
Of all the people Jesus could have decided to hang out with that day, he chose a man who everyone else looked down upon with disdain!
But, Zach gets down from the tree and begins to walk alongside Jesus, now in the middle of the crowd he had been trying to look over. And Zach is now in charge of leading Jesus and the crowd toward his house.
What happens when they get there? I’d imagine Jesus and his disciples go with Zach into the house, while most of those in the crowd stay outside, at least to begin with. Zach probably had servants he instructed to prepare a meal for his honored guests while the townspeople murmured among themselves, completely confused about what had just happened.
How did Jesus know Zach’s name? Why did Jesus allow a man in a tree to stop him from passing through Jericho? Afterall, the first verse of the story tells us he was just passing through. Why was Jesus spending time with a sinner?
Jesus chose to have his day interrupted by a wee little man, who was an outcast. Let’s pause and consider what that says about Jesus? And, what does that say about us? Two things I can think of.
Jesus’ 3 years of ministry was purposeful, but completely full of interruptions, which he never seems to be frustrated or put off by. He always seems to make time for everyone. I think we can trust that even today in our lives, he desires to make time for you and me, in whatever emotional, physical, or spiritual condition we find ourselves.
If we are followers of Jesus, praying to be more like him everyday, we should take note of his interactions with people - rich people, poor people, religious leaders, the powerful, the weak, and especially those on the fringes. He gives everyone the same dignity and focused time usually drawing the ire of very serious people. He loves so well, and we should too.
I’m going to stop the story one more time to let those things run through our minds.
What is your response to Jesus’ invitation to be with him?
Who is Jesus prompting you to love well today?
In the final post, we will see what happens to Zach because he chose to follow Jesus!