Luke 19:1-10

Yesterday afternoon during one of our breaks, I had to take some time outside - too much time in seminar rooms...needed fresh air. So, I was walking around the lake for a little bit and saw a woman just standing on this wall. I was curious but just thought, “well, ok...”. I went away from the lake for a while and came back about 30 minutes later and she was still standing on that wall. This time I decided to ask the question...Why are you standing on the wall? Her response, “I just kinda wanted to do it.” I said, “ok - love it. Thanks!”

I wonder what people asked Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) when he was climbing up the tree. Did they know he wanted to see Jesus? Did they just think, “Well, that’s just that weird tax collector guy.”? Zacchaeus was rich (and tax collectors of the day weren’t the most honest people in the world) and I wonder if anyone hoped that maybe he’d fall out of the tree. Who knows, but there he was as Jesus was passing by. Yes, he wanted to see Jesus, but why? Why did this man who was wealthy want to see this poor son of a carpenter? What was stirring in Zacchaeus that he felt he needed to not only hear Jesus but also see him? I wonder if Zacchaeus felt weird climbing up there - “What will people think?”

I wonder if that woman who was standing on the wall wanted to be “seen” standing there. I wonder if my question and response was encouraging - not a sense of “how weird are you?” but a sense of “ok - good on ya.” Zacchaeus maybe didn’t care what others thought and then was surprised when Jesus saw him and called out to him. Jesus saw him. That’s a pretty beautiful thing.