Zacchaeus and the Tree


	His Word and Mine

Bible Stories
Zacchaeus and the Tree, inspired by Luke 19:1–11
A disturbance calls me to the window. Children and adults are shrieking excitedly and running into the streets. Someone calls out the name “Jesus” and I am suddenly stunned. Is he here, in Jericho? In only a moment, that is confirmed by another shout down the street. People have been buzzing about Jesus for months, curious about who he is and how he heals the sick. He's popular wherever he goes, and I want to find out if stories about him are true. I leave my work and follow those running ahead. Running is beneath my dignity. So, by the time I reach Jesus, the crowd is established. People jump to vie for his attention, shouting his name and reaching for him in the midst of the crowd. All I see are backs of robes. Had I elbowed my way into that ruckus, I might have been trampled. I watch from the outer rim of the action. This is painfully familiar to me, the local chief tax collector. The crowd spans the width of the road, so I have to weave right or left to get around trees lining the hot road. What am I doing here? I'd have to actually be in one of these trees to catch a glimpse of Jesus. What a preposterous thought! A man of my status and dignity should never be in a tree. Yet, as I continue to walk around trees and hop over exposed roots, I realize that might be the only way I'll get to see Jesus. His being here will be the main topic of conversation for a long time to come, and the entire town of Jericho is here. I need to know about it. I stumble over a root. As I collect myself, I look around and see that not one person noticed. Everyone is focused only on Jesus. Nobody would notice me in a tree. Am I really still considering this? I wonder if anyone would see me if I ran ahead and climbed a tree. I hang back from the crowd unnoticed. I run toward the crowd. Still no one notices. I run past the crowd and the excitement for Jesus continues. I keep running until the people in the crowd are dots in the distance. I pass a curve in the road and find my tree. Ah, that one looks easy. Catching my breath, I look around. The town here is quiet because everyone is around the bend with Jesus. I clamber over the roots and hoist myself onto a branch. The bark is scaly, and I will never do this again. I crouch between two branches and have a clear view of the path Jesus is on. I feel out of place, undignified, but the branch is comfortable enough that I can stay until the crowd passes. The noise around Jesus increases as the crowd rounds the bend. I fight the urge to jump down before I'm spotted. But then I see that all eyes are still on Jesus. What about him makes people respond that way? Jesus walks in the eye of the turmoil. He moves his arms when he speaks. He laughs. People near him seem captivated and happy. What does he say to make people so happy? He touches people he's speaking to. A child pushes between two adults and says something to him. Jesus throws back his head and laughs. Everyone around him laughs with him. What a musical sound. My heart pounds as the townsfolk approach. Anyone could look up, find me out, point at me, and all of Jericho would witness me in this tree. Besides the news of Jesus, this, too, would keep people talking a long time to come. He nears. I finally get to see him. My heart now pounds. From what I see, Jesus is definitely not famous for his good looks. I wouldn't say he's ugly, but rather plain. I didn't expect that. Oh, good. He's pausing under my tree. Now maybe I can hear what he says that draws people to him. Oh, no! He sees me. He's looking right at me. Now everybody sees me. Oh, please, this can't be happening. Jesus says, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I will stay at your house today.” Me! “You want to stay at my house!” Even as I say it, the people around him mutter with the same astonishment, that Jesus would stay with me, a sinner, a person known to suppress his own people economically. I can hardly stand what's going on inside me as I climb down. Standing before Jesus, I am aware that the crowd can overpower me in a flash. I'm actually surprised that nobody attempts it. My throat is dry. I stand nervous before Jesus and tell him, “Lord, right here and now I give half my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I'll pay back four times the amount.” And I mean it. I open my purse to him. Jesus puts one hand on each of my shoulders and looks me square in the eye. I stand resolute. He says to me, “Today salvation has come to this man's house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” This humbles me. No one has ever acknowledged my heritage. Then Jesus turns to the crowd and says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” At that, we walk together to my house, and I learn exactly what makes Jesus so well loved. He values everyone, even me.
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His Word and Mine

Bible Stories