Jesus Loved Them, Part 5: Just one meeting changed everything
Napolean Bonaparte, the first emperor of the French, was no taller than five feet, six inches; one estimate puts him at five foot two. This, according to one writer, made him “much shorter than the elite soldiers, aristocrats, and high officials he met with.”
From this little man we get the term Napolean complex, which describes short men who are domineering or aggressive, pushy to prove they measure up to the taller guys around them.
Perhaps something like the Napolean complex afflicted Zacchaeus, a Jewish taxpayer in ancient Jericho and the main character in today’s narrative. Most likely the short-man syndrome (another name for the same condition) has been causing problems throughout history. And while it may be an unfair stereotype (many short men are gentle and kind), it’s interesting to think how Zacchaeus’ stature may have affected him.
Maybe he had grown up excluded or taunted by the kids in his neighborhood. Maybe he felt inadequate among his peers. Maybe he had always pushed himself harder, seeking a way to stand out. If so, in the Roman system at that time, he found an opportunity that satisfied him. He became a tax collector.
Maybe he had always pushed himself harder, seeking a way to stand out.
This did nothing to elevate his status in his community, of course. Indeed, the Jews hated the tax collectors. But he could prove to himself how important he was by acquiring wealth, some of it dishonestly, from the pockets of his countrymen.
Unfortunately, his affluence did not satisfy him. He wanted more. Could Jesus, the man so many were talking about, provide the missing piece?
He had to see and hear him. But he was short, and the people he had cheated were not going to make a place for him. So he ran ahead of the crowd lining the road where Jesus was walking and climbed a tree, just to get a glimpse of the miracle-working teacher.
Imagine his shock, maybe even fear, when Jesus looked up and called him out. The Scripture narrative is typically sparse, so we’re left to imagine what so quickly moved Zacchaeus to his profound decision. What else did Jesus say? Did Zacchaeus see something in his expression that told him Jesus loved him?
It’s fair to conclude that this encounter with Jesus, like so many recorded in the New Testament, touched Zacchaeus to the core. Standing face-to-face with Jesus puts all of life into perspective. All preoccupation with self fades away in the light of a meeting with the eternal and divine.
Standing face-to-face with Jesus puts all of life into perspective.
The story concludes with Jesus’ affirmation that he came “to seek and to save the lost.” Many readers hear lost and think of eternally lost, going to Hell, instead of saved and going to Heaven. The commentator William Barclay added a more nuanced understanding:
In the New Testament it [“lost”] does not mean damned or doomed. It simply means in the wrong place. A thing is lost when it has got out of its own place into the wrong place; and when we find such a thing, we return it to the place it ought to occupy. A man is lost when he has wandered away from God; and he is found when once again he takes his rightful place as an obedient child in the household and the family of his Father.
By Barclay’s definition, any reader might feel lost. Anyone, even a faithful believer, might have stumbled or strayed or intentionally stepped away from his right relationship with God. Especially caregivers might be so consumed with giving care that they quit thinking about the One whose purposes and power stretch beyond the burdens of today.
The story of Zacchaeus prompts us to escape the clamor of our duties and distress and seek a higher place where we can look at Jesus again. It seems sure he will notice us there. And in that encounter, we can find peace.
Read: Luke 19:1-9
Pray: Lord, just as Zacchaeus wanted to be right with you, today we’re seeking a fresh perspective on your will for our lives. Help us as we seek to get above the babble and burdens of this world. We want to see only you.
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