November 3, 2019 - Download a Worship Bulletin Above Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A mean was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "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." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the son of man came to seek out and to save the lost." It is an honor and privilege to be invited into someone’s home and life, especially when you’re new in town. After only being in West Brookfield for four weeks, I received a call from Varnum Funeral Home asking if I would preside over Kenneth Frazier’s funeral service. As I met with the family for the first time, I was overcome with humility - they had immediately invited me into their lives and entrusted me with sharing Ken’s stories and memory. And I couldn’t help but feel unqualified, that my words would be inadequate to communicate all that Ken was to his family and community. I had never met him, and the family didn’t know me from Adam. And, yet, they invited me in. Today’s scripture passage tells us of a similar story in which Zacchaeus, someone seemingly unqualified to host Jesus in his home, was the recipient of grace, grace that surpassed understanding. We’re told that Jesus entered Jericho, but that his plan was only to pass through - he had an itinerary, and he was just making a pitstop in town. But Jesus’ plans were derailed as he encountered crowds of people, just wanting to catch a glimpse of the man people said could perform miracles, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and befriend the outcasts. One man in the crowd, we’re told, is Zacchaeus - a short man who had trouble seeing over the crowds. While it sounds like it was merely a lack of height that caused Zacchaeus problems, some scholars suggest that it was actually Zacchaeus’ occupation that gave him the most trouble. You see, people knew Zacchaeus. People whispered about him and shot him the most evil looks, for he was the chief tax collector. He wasn’t just the guy who came to your door with a bill; he was the guy who lined his pockets with your hard-earned money and made sure you paid up - or there would be consequences. People saw him as the most corrupt politician in the land, and his connection to the bigwigs in Rome got under the townspeoples’ skin. In this story, the crowd was here to see Jesus, but I could imagine that the crowds heckled Zacchaeus and perhaps even spat at his feet. But Zacchaeus was compelled by something else: he wasn’t here to collect, as the people suspected. He was here to witness the man everyone said was the Son of God - the one who had more wealth than Rome, but in the form of eternal life. As the crowds pressed in, Zacchaeus broke free and ran up a tree so he could spot Jesus. He was so focused on his mission of laying eyes on this miraculous man that nothing else mattered, not even the sneers and jeers the crowd directed at him. And though Zacchaeus’ goal was simply to see the man everyone was talking about, it was Jesus who saw Zacchaeus. Jesus saw the man whose only post was up in a tree. He saw the man’s corruption and he saw the man’s eagerness to understand eternal life. Jesus saw Zacchaeus’ greed and he saw his sacred worth. In a radical move that defied all social norms, Jesus’ hospitality reached out to the outcast and outweighed Zacchaeus’ reputation. Jesus looked into his eyes, and in an act of generous hospitality, invited Zacchaeus down from the tree to stand with him: an honor and a privilege. But it doesn’t end there: Jesus opened up a possibility for fellowship that was not an option. A Jewish Rabbi, the Son of God, invited himself into the home of a known, corrupt, vile sinner? How awkward do you think that would have been? But Jesus knew Zacchaeus was more than his reputation and his corruption: he was a human being whom Jesus wanted to connect with on a heart level. And the reality of that interaction, when Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home? It wasn’t awkward at all. In fact, Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus with joy, and even offered to give his possessions to those experiencing need and to repay those whom he had dealt with unfairly. You see, when Jesus radically invites himself into our lives, we are forever changed, and our response is often a generous outpouring of joyous welcome and an effort to make changes in our lives for the sake of others. Ultimately, we belong to the Body of Christ because Jesus’ radical invitation into our olives is also an invitation to generosity. The people in our lives are generous with us, particularly those who invited us to church in the first place. Maybe it was someone who invited you to sing in the choir, or maybe you were invited to Bible study where you would find lifelong friends. We are moved by God’s grace toward hospitality, because it was through God’s grace that we too were welcomed into the Body of Christ. One commentary on the story of Zacchaeus puts it this way: “Jesus radically challenges the disciples’ expectations by overstepping the boundaries to invite people in.” (Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, 13) In this season of stewardship, it’s easy to just talk about money, about the needs of the church, about budgets and tithing. But how can we expand our definition of what it means to give generously with our hospitality? How do we show hospitality, a gift to the world, when we have very little or nothing to give in a material sense? Because here’s the deal: Jesus didn’t have a home in which to invite Zacchaeus. But he showed Zacchaeus hospitality simply by seeing him, by speaking with him when no one else would, by befriending him when it was clear he had enemies. As we reflect on Jesus’ welcoming actions, we also have an opportunity to reflect on the ways in which we’ve been blessed by our church. In what ways have you experienced Jesus’ invitation here at George Whitefield United Methodist Church? How has the life of this church changed your own life? What do you love about this church, and how can we spread that love through generous hospitality? You should have received a package in the mail with three Heart Cards, and this week, we’re asking about your love for the church. What do you love about George Whitefield UMC? If you didn’t receive a letter this week, or if you forgot yours at home, we have extras in the pews. When you come up to receive Communion, I invite you to prayerfully clip your card to the clothesline at the altar rail as a testament to the love we have for our church. And as we go forth, may we recognize the ways in which Jesus has called us down from our own trees, separated from the crowd. May we see the ways in which we're called to serve, and may we respond with generous hospitality to all those we encounter. - Pastor Christy Wright
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