Scripture Reflection (Luke 19.1-10): Sharing Your Commitments with God
As I write this, I am on the train, headed to Ingersoll, Ontario, to lead the learning event, “Discipleship for Earth Healing.” I know that I will be meeting some of you there, and I look forward to seeing you in person (or online, as the case may be). This is my first time on a train since before Covid; I am grateful for the vaccines and other health measures that make it possible to travel and congregate again. I need the energy, vitality, and the insights that I gain from meeting with others, learning and worshipping together. (And yes, I freely admit, it is nice to get a few days away from family responsibilities!).
The train is one of the most ecologically-friendly ways to travel long-distance in Canada right now; I think it is second only to an electric vehicle. The gift of the train, in addition to feeling like I am living out my values (discipleship in action!), is to have the time to slow down. Since I don’t have to drive, I can work quietly, read, watch the beautiful Ontario countryside go by, or simply close my eyes and rest. So much of what is best for the planet is best for our bodies, minds and spirits, too.
Announcements
Where am I preaching next? I will be in person at North Gower United Church (2332 Church St. North Gower, ON) on Sunday, November 13, 2022, at 9:30 am, and at Carsonby United Church (5940 Prince of Wales Drive, Kars, ON) at 11:00 am that same day. If you can, please join me! The sermon theme will be: “COP27 and the Gospel”.
BLOG POST: Religious Diversity in the Earth Community
Find it here: https://jessicahetherington.ca/blog/
Scripture Reflection
Luke 19:1-10
[Jesus] entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And 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.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10 ESV)
As part of the learning event this weekend, I will be preaching at our closing worship service. One of the texts that I have chosen is this one, in which Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, has climbed into a tree to try to see Jesus. When Jesus sees him, he calls him by name and invites himself over to Zacchaeus’ house. As you read here, this is a powerful encounter for both Zaachaeus and Jesus, who recognizes the tax collector as a “son of Abraham” for his commitment to living out the call of Jesus.
There is a lot going on in this text; what I am struck by is this: Jesus knew Zacchaeus by name! Notice, in verse 3, that Zacchaeus is trying to see who Jesus is. He has never met Jesus before. There is no reason to think that Jesus would have heard of Zacchaeus before; he was one tax collector among many in that time. This is the first mention of Zacchaeus in the Bible [is it the only one??], and this story is only in the Gospel of Luke.
Most commentaries on this passage explore other aspects of this story, which are surely significant. But I am left wondering: how did Jesus know him already? Was Zacchaeus struck by the fact that Jesus knew him by name, up there in that tree? How might it have made Zacchaeus feel, to know that Jesus already knew who he was? Was he thrilled, and feel kind of special, or did it make him fearful, wondering what else Jesus might know, that perhaps Zacchaeus didn’t want to admit?
It is easy to feel alone in our world, right now. Whether in our personal circumstances, or in our faith journey, or in our worry and care for the Earth. It is easy to feel that we aren’t recognized; that we aren’t seen, aren’t recognized. It is easy to feel, as the forces of chaos and evil seem to grow ever stronger, through the increasing consequences of climate change and other aspects of the ecological crisis, and the rising voices of fascism, misogyny and other forms of hate, that God isn’t really that close by. That we are alone in our world. Even for those of us who are professed Christians, or within another religious tradition.
Yet I am reminded, when I read this passage in Luke, that Jesus doesn’t just know Zacchaeus’ name. He knows my name, too. If I were to climb into that sycamore tree, or into the beautiful pine at the nearby school, or a maple tree in the forest, or the crab apple tree in my backyard, that Jesus could easily call out, “Jessica! Hurry and come down! For I must stay at your house today.” I would hurry down (or would I fall out from shock?!) and go meet Jesus at my front door, and invite him in.
Indeed, Jesus already knows my name; I know this. Elsewhere in the Scriptures, in our hymns that affirm it, God already knows my name, and God calls to me. And Jesus knows your name, too. Have you ever felt God call you by name? Have you ever experienced that familiarity, that knowing, that Zacchaeus did?
And further, what would your conversation with Jesus be like, when you welcomed him into your home? What would you tell him, about your commitment to a discipleship for Earth healing? What would you tell him, about your fears and your worries, your commitments and your values? I invite you to read this scripture passage again, then close your eyes and imagine that Jesus is calling to you in that tree; he recognizes you and calls you by name, and he insists that he visit you at your home. Imagine, then, the conversation that would ensue. Imagine it in as much detail as you can muster. Imagine you sharing with Jesus the commitments that you have made, the ways that you are living out a discipleship of Earth healing in his name. Perhaps make this a time of prayer, in which you listen for what Jesus has to say.
And then, after your time of reflection is coming to a close, your prayer time is winding down, hear Jesus say to you: “Salvation has come to this house! Because they, too, are a child/son/daughter of Abraham [and Sarah].”
Let yourself hear this, and be encouraged, like Zacchaeus was. You are known by God; you are recognized by Jesus, who knows you by name. Thanks be to God.