The gospel for today tells the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus from the Gospel of Luke. St. Luke is a pretty good story teller. Luke chapter 15 is a wonderful collection of parables about things lost and found: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Different kinds of lost, but one kind of found.
I think the story of Zacchaeus is just the parable of Luke 15. Zacchaeus is a bit lost. He is not part of the Roman world. He is shunned by the Jewish world. He is betwixt and between. He is lost. He’s heard about Jesus and wants to connect with him. Then comes the moment and Jesus is passing by not intending to stop. And yet he does. Jesus stood still and looked up. Jesus pauses to notice and be present.
The Christian life is often so busy with its emphasis on doing and acting, that it’s important to see Jesus being still. Jesus is not so busy that he cannot notice, or be attentive to Zacchaeus who has something important to say. It is akin to two people walking side by side when one of them suddenly says something important. The listener stops so that they can be more attentive. It’s important to be active, but sometimes it’s essential to be still.
This is the week of Thanksgiving. There are places to go, people to see – and some of them will be “betwixt and between.” Pause to notice and be present to them. Be Christ to their Zacchaeus.
Image credit: “Christ and Zacchaeus” by Niels Larsen Stevns | Randers Museum of Art, Denmark | PD