Zacchaeus

“…For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

Zacchaeus was a wealthy chief tax collector. He was hated. If people saw him coming, I’m sure they went in the opposite direction. Everyone avoided him like the plague. They certainly weren’t willing to spend time with him. Afterall, who would want to spend time with a filthy sinner who made his money the way Zacchaeus did?

One day the unthinkable happens. Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus’s home. The crowd watches and wonders how in the world Jesus would call Zacchaeus by name and ask to go to this hated man’s home. It proved to be important- Jesus loved and took time with a hated man and the hated man gets saved. Zacchaeus “found salvation” that day.

I can’t help but wonder, even though Zaccheus gave half his wealth to the poor and paid 4 times what he had stolen, did the haters still hate? Could people ever forget who Zaccheus used to be? Can they ever get beyond the fact that he is wealthy? Will they ever be able to forgive what he once took from them? Would they ever decide to trust him?

Maybe many took the ever famous…  ‘I can forgive him, but I don’t have to spend time with him” attitude. Maybe they thought, I can love him “from afar.” Isn’t it great Jesus never had that attitude? May we be willing to love the before Christ version and nurture the after Christ version equally. May we be willing to invest in the “unlovable” as Christ taught we should. Afterall, aren’t we all “unlovable” at times?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ‘There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31