Dear Friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The story of Zacchaeus is not a traditional reading for Reformation Sunday. Faithful Lutherans don’t come to church to sing, “Zacchaeus was a wee, little man.”  They come to sing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”  There are far more familiar passages of scripture that are read in church for Reformation, for instance Roman 3:8, “For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” Or Ephesians 2: 8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Surely, these are better scripture readings for a Lutheran celebration of the Protestant Reformation than the story of Zacchaeus.

Granted, Lutherans have a conflicted history, so much so that some pastors choose not to include the title Lutheran in their Church’s name, white others are equally frightened by the title evangelical. As for our youth, they are often so unaware of historical dates of the Reformation that we must remind them every fall that Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. were not father and son.  It’s unfortunate, but we live in a time where religious distinctions have been discarded as nothing more than trivial, historic differences.  We forget that the Protestant Reformation was all about the rediscovery of holy scripture.  The reformers believed that in the Bible freshly translated into he language of the people, that Jesus was being made known and that God’s faithful people were being made free.

My friends, this morning I would like to share with you two convictions drawn from the story of Zacchaeus and his chance meeting with Jesus.  First of all, the story of Zacchaeus beautifully illustrates the very heart of the Protestant confession that we are saved by grace through faith.  Second, it is in the story of this wee, little man that we glimpse the character of a man or woman who truly lives and is transformed by faith.

Of all the people in ancient Palestine, tax collectors were the most hated. And as the chief tax collector of Jericho, Zacchaeus was a despised, but wealthy man.  Palestine was subject to Roman rule, and the tax collectors served as mercenary, civil servants. The Roman system for taxation lent itself to corruption. A geographic area was assessed a particular sum for taxes, and then the office of the tax-collector was offered for purchase to the highest bidder. The newly hired tax collector was free to collect and exploit whatever sums he could, so long as he paid the Roman assessment. They were regarded as traitors of the Jewish people. In the common prayers in the Temple, robbers, murderers and tax-collectors were classed together.  The countryside surrounding Jericho was a particularly rich district. The valley was known for its fruit and date trees. Since Jericho stood at the crossroads to the lands east of Jordan, the tax system was a lucrative business. Zacchaeus had risen to the top of his profession, but he was not a happy man.

Like so many successful men and women, Zacchaeus was lonely.  He had chosen a path that had made him an outcast. Our personal and professional decisions often have a cost, though when we’re young we don’t often see it.  We build for ourselves houses with great empty spaces, and we nurture relationships that fail to give life.  Yes, we may tower over others in our professions, but we are often as small in the eyes of those who simply refuse to play the same games.  Zacchaeus knew such loneliness and emptiness. He was looking for change, but he didn’t where to begin.  Then he heard of a man named Jesus who welcomed sinners and tax collectors.

500 years ago, the Protestant reformers stated that when you approach the cross of Christ humbly you will meet this loving face of Jesus, and he will call you by name.  And there, by his grace, he will offer you the gifts of forgiveness, fullness and meaning. You discover this truth in Holy Scripture.  Regretfully, this understanding of confession involves the one thing that so few people wish to face today- self-examination.  Many Christians are afraid to look at their lives with the objective clarity of Zacchaeus.  They are afraid to look at their weaknesses and needs and to climb the sycamore where others may see them.

Zacchaeus, however, was determined to see Jesus, and he would not let anything stop him.  For Zacchaeus to mingle with the crowd at all was a courageous thing to do, for many would take advantage of the opportunity to get nudge, a kick or a push at the little tax-collector.  It was a chance not to be missed.  Zacchaeus would be black and blue by the end of the day.  Unfortunately, his height prevented him from seeing Jesus- and the crowd took great delight in ensuring that he could not see him.  So he ran ahead to the crossroads of Jericho and climbed a sycamore tree. He humbled himself, lifting his robe, and like a child, he climbed the branches so that he could catch a fleeting glimpse of this man from Galilee.  When Jesus came to that place he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down- for this day, I must stay in your house.” To the tax-collector’s surprise, Jesus knew his name.

The story of Zacchaeus reminds us there is nothing you can do to earn God’s love. No works can make you righteous and holy before God.  It is not by your own goodness, your good works, your merits, or even your good intentions.  But you are made acceptable to others and to God, through Jesus Christ’s grace alone

Now why is this such a wonderful story when you are feeling small and hopeless and  how is it fitting for Reformation Sunday?  The meeting of Zachaeus and Jesus should remind you of how important and dear you are to God’s loving heart.  Our Savior Jesus was on the road that would lead him to Jerusalem and  he knew what lay ahead. Three times he warned his disciples of what would soon come to pass. .He was preparing for his own imminent death on the cross.  And yet in spite of his own trials and fears, Jesus saw this wee, little man Zacchaeus spying him from high in the tree, and he called him,  “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”

Jesus sees you as well, as you are, and he is making time to be a guest in your home.  No matter how much the crowd brushes you aside and tells you your cares are unimportant, God comes to you. No matter how much your family tells you that your pain and sorrow is unimportant, God hears your cry.  No matter how small and insignificant you feel, God hears you. Yes, no matter how great the depth that you have fallen, how deep the loss, or how tragic the sin, God hears and see you… and he will not leave alone.  “Today, salvation can come to your house.”

But beware- such a meeting in scripture may change your life. It was during such a visit that Zacchaeus took steps to show that he had become a new and changed man.  He had been made free to live the life Jesus had offered. He would abide in Jesus’ word.  “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor.” The other half he chose to keep as restitution for those he had exploited. You see, faith is not simply about changed words, but it is about changed lives.  You live life differently because of what Jesus Christ has done for you. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition, Zaccheaus would become a follower of Jesus.  He is recognized as an apostle and the first bishop of Caesarea. St. Zaccheaus. That is the power and wonder of change you will discover in scripture when you read it and meditate upon it.

My friends, I do not know all your trials and tribulations.  We struggle with different issues every day.  Marriage, friendship, fidelity, divorce, care for our children, concern for our parents, the relationships with siblings that have never been resolved, anxiety for tomorrow, fears for the environment, concern for peace in the world, hunger, disease, and death.  You will hear the crowds hushing you in your cries, but I am convinced as well, that when you meditate on God’s word in holy scripture, climbing the sycamore tree and opening yourself to Jesus passing, that like Zacchaeus, you will hear God’s voice in Jesus Christ calling you by name.  He longs to be a guest in your house, so that you may be changed and transformed into disciple he calls you to be.    Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.