Climbing Trees

Psalm 65:1-8
Luke 19:1-10
Northridge PCUSA
November 7, 2010

Have you ever climbed a tree? I grew up living in a wooded neighborhood. We had a tree house in our backyard as did our neighbors across the street. The Johnson treehouse was much cooler than ours. Our friends Heather and Elizabeth had a slide that was the exit from their tree house. Ours was much higher, smaller, and had no slide.

The tree house was the source of endless hours of play. The neighborhood gang would imagine we were pioneers in a log cabin, we were sailing on a ship, Noah’s Ark was a favorite, or the Mayflower as we learned history in school. We could spend hours making up stories, running around the woods, climbing into the house, sliding down.

In addition to being a source of imagination, climbing up into the tree was a source of escape. When I had a fight with my parents or my sister, the tree house was my quiet place. The tree house was an adult free zone where different rules applied. The treehouse was the source of distraction from my homework or chores.

Zacchaeus, that wee little man, climbs a tree in today’s passage. Not for an afternoon of make believe, but as an escape. The Sunday school version of this story tells us that Zaccaheus was a wee little man and it was the Lord he wanted to see, so he climbed up a sycamore tree.

Zacchaeus was not only short in stature, but also in compassion and stewardship. As a tax collector, he worked for the Romans and was despised. In those days tax collectors often took a significant cut of the tax for themselves. Zacchaeus was not a Robin Hood figure, taking from the rich to redistribute to the poor. No, he took large cuts from the poor, causing significant hardship for his community, and kept the extra cash for himself.

I can imagine Zacchaeus rounding a corner, seeing a crowd gather on the streets. He didn’t have his bodyguard with him that day, so instead of standing around in the crowd, where he couldn’t see and didn’t want to be seen, he spots a nice tree with some low limbs and climbs up.

Zaccheus climbs a tree to get a better view, but also to be out of sight. He was the outcast. The equivalent of a used car salesman, or mob boss. He’s the man in the great Armani suit that you just don’t trust and maybe even despise…

Zaccheus does not come running toward Jesus along with the rest of the crowd. Instead, he climbs up a tree, safe in the boughs, out of sight, but able to see. Notice, Zacchaeus does not run toward Jesus asking for healing or to be saved like some other figures in the Gospels. No, in this passage it is Jesus who calls out to Zaccaheus.

As one commentator notes, “There is nothing in this passage to indicate that Zacchaeus was hoping to meet Jesus—indeed, perched up there in that sycamore tree in about as undignified a posture as possible, it seems likely that Zacchaeus was, as a matter of fact, hoping NOT to be noticed! He was hiding and he was not about to call out to Jesus from his bird-like position. What would people think to see a rich guy literally up a tree??!”

So, imagine what it was like for Zaccheaus, hiding in the tree, to have Jesus call out his name as the parade passed by. The crowd was anticipating a shake down. Jesus was known to condemn the rich. But instead of a shake down, Jesus invites himself to dinner.

Jesus comes to Zacchaeus. Jesus is interested in the rich and the poor, in the grounded and the helpless. Jesus is interested in the things of this world…in who we welcome into our home, in our stewardship of resources…

Zaccheaus, the man who was short on compassion and stewardship is forced to come down from the tree and be grounded again by Jesus in the ways of mercy and compassion.

Perhaps you don’t go around climbing trees. I know I haven’t climbed a tree with success in quite some time. But, we do distance ourselves from the consequences of our decisions like Zaccheaus did.

Maybe we separate ourselves from the community, just as Zaccheus did while the parade passed him by. We choose to stand on the fringes and let others do the challenging work. Other times though, the floodwaters of life rise, and we find ourselves climbing a tree for safety, for protection.

When we’re stuck up in a tree of illness or hardship we might not dare ask for help…prefer to hide out rather than risk being honest about our circumstances. Used to having power and control over our circumstances, requesting help and receiving it are a challenge. Acknowledging our helplessness is a challenge.

And so, Jesus stands at the foot of the sycamore tree and commanded Zaccheaus to come down. Then Jesus does something strange, he initiates a dinner party at Zacchaeus’ house. There was gossip about the invitation, Jesus chose to go to a sinner’s house? What was Jesus thinking? But, what was so miraculous was that Jesus’ mercy was so great that it overcame the greed and sin of Zaccheaus.

Zachaeus didn’t have to earn acceptance, it was already offered, and in response he is compelled to clean up his act and give to the poor. He responds to the generous gift of grace by promising to give half his possessions ot the poor and repaying fourfold what he has cheated. You would expect it to be the other way around. Zacchaeus was a dishonest man, surely a sinner like him would need to earn grace and forgiveness? With Jesus it is always the reverse…mercy and grace is always offered first and gratitude is the response.

Zacchaeus, the man who was short in stature and in stewardship transforms in the presence of Christ. “The conversion of Zacchaeus does demonstrate that when grace comes to us, it does always result in a gracious lifestyle!”

We can’t live life in the tree…Jesus invites us to put our feet on the ground, to commune, to break bread over a meal, and to give generously from our wealth so others may eat, so others may know the love of God. Each of you has made that choice by joining this church. Together, as the body of Christ we look at the many resources and we seek to use our money, our time and talent, to extend the compassion and love of God to our neighbor.

During this season of stewardship we are faced with choices about how to commit our time, talent, and our money to the work of this congregation.

As you look around you here and in the world, you’ll note the need. Hurricane Tomas will bring another wave of need to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Death brings grieving to this community. Illness brings hardship.

We could all run for the trees like Zaccheaus, or we can remain here, on the ground together. Bound by the God who loves each of us that he sent God’s son to call us out of trees toward a table of plenty. And, as we sit at table, each of us brings our unique gifts. Maybe you have the gift of prayer and can pray for this community and the world, maybe you have the gift of hospitality and can prepare food here and around the city, maybe you have a heart for education and can take time to teach. Maybe you could stand to give a bit more wealth back to God in service for our neighbor, not out of guilt, but in gratitude for the blessings you have received. All of us can give something in the form of time, talent, and treasure.

God calls us out of trees and into community with God and with one another. Zaccheas learned that he need not hide, he need not hoard his wealth…he gave it away…he welcomed. He gave generously. How can we welcome? What can we give generously?

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.


commentary quotes from Scott Hoeze, calvin center for excellent preaching, text this week.