I was one of those kids that went trick or treating far too late in life. I was fourteen and still out there, pounding the pavement, hoping to get gobs of candy. Maybe it was the fact that my mom was a healthfood freak. Maybe it was the fact that I loved costumes. But whatever the reason, I went out there every year far into my teens. I was one of those kids that people dread appearing, who comes late in the evening with a huge sack full of sweets.
This one year my girlfriends and I were carrying pillowcases and we had been out for hours. It was pitch dark and we were on the edge of a park. We had just climbed the stairs to the home of an old woman, who had opened her door and was about to reach towards her candy bowl when someone came up behind us. The old woman let out a shreak and shut the door in our faces. We turned around to see three young men with nylons over their faces. “Give us your candy,” they said.
One of the girls with me was named Julie Getman. Julie had red hair and she was someone that you didn’t want to mess with. Julie was not at all mean, she was just tough. She would tell it like it was and she did not put up with anything. When Julie wanted something, she usually got it. She was incredibly tenacious.
One of the young men grabbed Julie’s pillow case and tried to yank it from her. Well, he chose the wrong girl. She held on for dear life. That young man dragged her down the street for almost half the block before he gave up altogether and Julie was wearing really high heels! But she was NOT about to give up that great candy that she had worked so hard to collect. No Way. She just held on.
Zaccheus had a lot in common with my friend Julie. He was a short guy with enormous will and tenacity. Zaccheus got what he wanted and, for most of his life, what he wanted was money. He worked his way up as a tax collector, collecting money from his brother and sister Jews no matter how poor they were or how much they begged him. He gave out loans, sometimes cheating people. After all, the people were so gullible. It was easy for him to make an easy buck. He lived in a nice home and had every kind of comfort in life. But something was missing.
One day, Zaccheus heard that the great teacher Jesus was coming. When he heard the news, something in him became hungry. He longed to see Jesus fiercely, though I doubt he could have articulated why. Somehow it became incredibly important that he be able to look upon the face of this prophet, this man who was so close to God. Zaccheus was hungry to encounter Christ.
On the day that Jesus came through Zaccheus’ home town of Jericho, the crowds were out in full force. Zaccheus could not see a thing. He was surrounded on every side by people, pressing in and talking, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Rabbi, the man who had performed miracles. Zaccheus could not stand taking a back seat, so he did whatever he could to see the face of Jesus. He ran up ahead and climbed a tree.
I can just see the little man, scrambling up a tree in his fancy robes. Like a lizard, he must have climbed with enormous skill and dexterity. He was no longer concerned with appearances or what people might think of him. He just focused on getting up there, so that he could catch a glimpse of the holy man. From the tree, Zaccheus could finally see. He watched as Jesus walked toward him. And to his surprise, Jesus stopped under that tree and spoke.
“Zaccheus,” Jesus said. “I want to come and eat at your house today.”
Zaccheus scrambled down the tree. Everyone must have been staring. Here was one of the most hated men in town. Loathed by all, he was always alone, a social outcast. And Jesus wanted to go eat in his house, the home of one who had robbed and cheated most of the population of the city? What was Jesus thinking? It made everyone angry. How could a holy man eat with such a sinner?
But Zaccheus pursued Jesus with the same intensity that he had pursued his wealth. And once he saw Jesus, his money meant nothing to him. “Lord,” he said, “I will give half of everything that I own to the poor and if I have cheated anyone, I will give him four times as much.” And so, a sinner was found.
Zaccheus was found, but let’s look at what it meant for him to be found. For Zaccheus, to be found by Jesus meant a lot of work. He had to give stuff awa. He had to face a lot of angry people and make ammends for the things that he had done in the past. He had to admit that he had cheated and offer to repay those whom he had hurt. Zaccheus was entering into a life-long journey of sacrifice and service. This meeting with Jesus, this was only the beginning.
Dining with Jesus, looking at him, changed Zaccheus’ life forever. But the story did not end there. The story had only begun. Zaccheus was saved, he was found, as Jesus said. But being found by God means a lot of work. Believe you me, I don’t think that life for Zaccheus was free from obstacles or pain. But no matter what the road blocks, I believe that Zaccheus mastered them, after all, he was a climber.
I met an incredible man this week. His name is John Baxter. He is an Episcopalian, a member of St. Mark’s Church here in Jacksonville. He retired from a successful business and found himself asking a question of Jesus: “What can I do to follow you?” Broken-hearted by the racial disparities in this city, he asked some black leaders what he could do to help. They told him that he could do nothing for their generation, but please, help the children.
So John began to look into building a school. He visited with churches and leaders in the city and began to get the impression that perhaps a charter school might be best. He visited with KIP schools across the country, but they refused to come to Florida for a variety of reasons. Determined to let nothing stop him, John began to fundraise and to dream. Today, Tiger Academy sits on the North West part of the city. By partnering with the YMCA, John was able to build an incredible new school. I walked its halls on Friday. It is truly amazing. The children are so happy and so much learning is taking place. When they see visitors, they make the sign of a tigerclaw by reaching out their fingers and then pulling them back. I never saw so many smiles.
The story of Zaccheus didn't end when Jesus dined with him, it was only just beginning. And your story does not end here at the altar, it begins here. Out there, God has asked you to follow into a world that is FULL of obstacles, crowds that obscure your vision, people who dislike you, failure, you name it. The Christian walk is not a stoll, it is an obstacle course. Believe me, it is an obstacle course.
So please, do not think that you are doing anything wrong if you come to church and when you leave this place, life is no easier to you than before you came. Believing in Christ does NOT make your life easier, if anything , it makes it harder. How we came to assume that the Christian walk was peaceful and easy, I will never know. He brings us a SWORD. He asked us to follow him and then he walked to Golgotha to die.
If you are not challenged by what you are giving and how you are serving, then you are not doing enough. The Christian life should leave you afraid almost all the time. You should be doing things, stretching yourself in ways that feel almost too much. Life with Christ is that way, it is a series of trees to be climbed. But the joy that comes along with the fear is great. Oh, it is great.
As I drove back to the Cathedral from Tiger Academy, I could see two things in John’s eyes. I could see light and joy and I could see fatigue. And when I asked if he would be willing to serve on the Board of our Cathedral School, he said Yes. Even though he didn’t know if he could make all the meetings, even though he is tired, he said YES.
