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Hespeler, November 2, 2025 © Scott McAndless – Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4, Psalm 119:137-144, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Luke 19:1-10
Jesus came to the city of Jericho and was passing through it. This would have taken some time. Apart from Jerusalem, Jericho was the largest city that Jesus entered in all the gospels. It sprawled over a large area, including the old city within the legendary walls. It also included several new surrounding districts that had been constructed by Herod the Great.
Built overlooking one of the most important trade routes in the ancient world, many people who lived there had done very well for themselves by feeding off the trade. There was also an army of Tax Collectors that was there to make sure that the Roman government got more than its fair share.
And of course, this wealthy elite were supported by a multitude of slaves and poor labourers who actually kept the city running smoothly day by day.
Everyone Was There
Jesus was well known. As far as we can tell, he had not been to Jericho before, but his reputation certainly preceded him. Accounts of his incredible preaching and storytelling, not to mention the miraculous healings that took place wherever he travelled had spread far and wide.
Even more astounding, people were saying that that very morning, as he approached the city, Jesus had healed a blind beggar by the side of the road. It was said that the man could now see perfectly, and he had joined in the crowd of disciples who followed in the man’s wake.
And so, as you can imagine, as Jesus passed through the gates and into the old city, large crowds turned out to try and get a glimpse of this phenomenon. Everyone was there – rich and poor, slave and free.
Jesus’ Choice
Jesus could have chosen to single out anyone in the crowd that day. He could have healed this one of his affliction. He could have offered good news for to one who struggled in her poverty. There were also a few people who were quite comfortable in their wealth or standing that he would have been quite able to put in their place with a few choice words about camels and needles’ eyes. But he doesn’t seem to have done any of that.
Instead, we are told that among all the people in that vast crowd, his eye fell upon one figure. And Jesus apparently decided that this was the one person in all of Jericho that he needed to spend time with on this day. But why? Why out of everybody did Jesus choose Zacchaeus?
Zacchaeus’ Small Stature
Most Christians know a few things about Zacchaeus. The main thing they know, of course, is that he was short. “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he!” But Jesus mentions nothing about the man’s stature. His height is only mentioned in passing in the story itself.
I’m sure that there are a lot of people throughout the centuries who have been disrespected or even mistreated because they are small or because their bodies do not fit the ideal standards in some other way. If you have ever felt like that, then take great comfort from the knowledge that Jesus took notice of a short person. But I do not want to focus today on that reason for why Jesus noticed him.
An Outsider
Well, what about the fact that he was a Tax Collector? As someone who collaborated with the occupying Roman government, Zacchaeus was hated and despised by everybody. He was a social outcast. And Jesus seems to have had a big heart that was open wide for outcasts and outsiders.
So perhaps Jesus recognized him as such an outsider, and that is why he insisted on inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house. If you have ever been made to feel like an outsider, you should take comfort from that notion as well, but again I think that there is another reason that I would like to explore today.
Something Else
I believe that there was one thing in particular that made Jesus want to engage with Zacchaeus that day – one thing that marked him as different above everything else. The crowd was full of people who were trying to connect with Jesus in some way.
Some were greeting him, giving him high-fives and cheering. Others were looking for something from him, asking for healing or a word of wisdom. And, yes, I do not doubt that there were also some who had shown up because they had taken offence to what they had heard about him. They were calling out insults and disputing his teachings.
But amid all of the noise and conflicting reactions, there was one figure who was different. He was balancing precariously upon the branch of a sycamore tree and peering out between the leafy branches. It is remarkable that Jesus could see him at all; he was well hidden.
Withdrawn
The thing that stood out about Zacchaeus at that moment was that he was not there to engage. He had withdrawn to the fringes of the crowd because he was there merely to observe. He had been curious enough to want to come out and see Jesus, but he was not looking to attract his attention.
Had he wanted to, he probably could have. His small stature would have allowed him to slip to the front of the crowd, much like children always seem to be able to make their way to the curb when a parade goes by. Certainly, no one would have complained that he was blocking their view.
But he didn’t do that. He chose to withdraw and find a vantage that allowed him to see everything, but not to be seen. Zacchaeus was there as a voyeur, an intentional spectator of the most important event that had happened in Jericho since another guy named Joshua came to town.
(And, by the way, if you don’t get that reference, the name Jesus is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name, Joshua. So, there are really two stories in the Bible of the time that ‘Joshua’ came to Jericho.)
Spectator Christianity
So, I greatly suspect that the thing about Zacchaeus that caught Jesus’ attention was the fact that he didn’t want to be seen. He didn’t actually want anything from Jesus. And so Jesus, perhaps to Zacchaeus’ initial frustration, decided to engage him.
The Christian faith can very easily become a spectator sport. And when you think about it, it is not really that surprising. We set our churches up like theatres with less comfortable seating. We point the pews in the same direction. The not-very-subtle message we are giving to everyone who enters this space is that you are here to watch.
Some traditions are much more interactive, of course. In Black churches, the congregation is expected to call back to the preacher. In Pentecostal Churches, the people join in the prayers in ecstatic speech and reaction. But we would feel pretty uncomfortable if any of those things happened in our church.
Yes, many of our churches have fallen into the habit of thinking of the worship service as a show that you go to see. And the churches that are seen as the successful ones just happen to be the ones that put on the best show, with their bands and special effects and talk-show style messages.
Goes With Consumer Society
I can understand the allure. We live in a consumer society, and so we tend to think of anything that enhances our lives as something to be consumed. If we want to improve our health, we purchase a retreat at a wellness spa. If we want wisdom, we buy a book or pay for a seminar. It is hardly surprising that we tend to approach spirituality in the same way. When we want to encounter God, we go out to watch a worship service.
Spectator spirituality is safe. You can listen to the message or the songs and just choose to take away from them what you will – a bit of comfort or encouragement, whatever wisdom you need. But then you can just go home and go on with your life and not worry about anything changing.
Jesus Doesn’t Leave Him Alone
But Jesus, clearly, has a little problem with that. When he sees Zacchaeus merely spectating, he doesn’t leave him alone. “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down,” he cries, “for I must stay at your house today.” Notice how Jesus doesn’t just want to talk. Nor does he ask for Zacchaeus to do anything specific. Jesus asks for a sleepover. He asks for an invitation to Zacchaeus’ table. He’s asking for the most intimate kind of social contact that took place in that world.
That is because Jesus doesn’t merely want you to hear his message. He doesn’t want you to be a spectator. He isn’t even just asking you to study his words and seek to apply them in some way. Jesus is seeking to connect with you on that intimate level. Jesus wants a sleepover. Jesus wants you to invite him to your table.
Seeking Transformation
And why does Jesus want that? He wants that because he is seeking your transformation. He is not simply interested in shaming Zacchaeus over the things that he has done wrong. Jesus knows that shame only creates bad feelings, but doesn’t create transformation. Jesus isn’t merely asking Zacchaeus to donate from his extraordinary wealth, obtained in shady business dealings; he is looking to transform Zacchaeus. He is looking to transform you as well.
And that is exactly what Zacchaeus was trying to prevent. That’s why he was hiding in those leafy branches. It is why he chose to spectate rather than engage. He wanted to be in control of what he did with what he observed of Jesus.
Jesus Transforms Zacchaeus
And he was right to be wary. Because what happens when Jesus does the sleepover? At some point during the night (or perhaps it was over Froot Loops at breakfast), Zacchaeus stands up and says, “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.”
And let us understand what that is. Those are not just the words of someone who recognizes that he did some bad things and wants to try harder. That is not a promise to make amends for some of the evil he has done with a few flashy donations. That is Zacchaeus recognizing that he has been living in a way that is not just, not honouring of God, and realizing that he can no longer live that way. These are the words of a man transformed.
Where Are You Today?
You are all here today. And I know that you are here because you have heard the word that Jesus is passing through this city. And he is. Jesus is present here in our gathering today. He promised that he would be.
And you are curious, as you should be. You are looking for some word from him that will give you comfort, healing or encouragement. And you should look for that because Jesus does offer that. But I would encourage you not to settle for those things.
Where are you in that quest for what Jesus can offer you today? Are you holding back? Are you up in the sycamore and peering through the protective screen of sycamore leaves because there are some things in your life that you don’t want to let Jesus get his hands on? Are there attitudes, riches, grudges, bitternesses or identities that you are just not willing to let Jesus get his hands on?
Well, the story of Zacchaeus is a reminder that if you have merely been spectating in the Christian faith, Jesus sees you up in that tree. He knows you are there, and he knows why you are holding back. The good news is that he is reaching out to you to invite himself in. “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”