I just found out that today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. I didn’t know until moments ago that this happens every January 21st. I am SO EXCITED to know that there is a day set aside to enjoy and appreciate my neighborhood squirrels. Should have known something special was happening by the way our dog took out after one of those little creatures early this morning!
I think of squirrels and trees together, and this afternoon, that’s making me think of Zacchaeus. Vertically challenged, Zacchaeus, as the story goes in Luke 19:1-10, climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus as he passes through town. Jesus notices this guy, calls him by name, and invites himself over to his house. Everybody complains about it. Zacchaeus could have stayed up in that tree and not accepted Jesus’ invitation. Plenty of people do. It’s much easier to go on with our lives and continue with our own agendas than to allow Jesus to invite himself over to our house to stay.
Zacchaeus decides to come down from the tree and because of this encounter with Jesus, his life is changed. So my question today is this: Are we up the tree still waiting for Jesus to walk by and transform the world OR are we in a true relationship with Jesus that transforms our lives and calls us to change the world?
We’re all a little like Zacchaeus, trying to see Jesus from a distance – often getting ourselves up into trees and needing Jesus to come by and call us back down to earth, back down to an honest relationship with him. People who decide to stay in the trees look down upon the world – our global community – and wait for Jesus to return – to enter Jericho again – in order to bring forth the Kingdom of God. They say, “The world is in such turmoil. I can’t do anything about it.” I personally think it’s up to us to bring forth the Kingdom of God.
If we’ve come down from our tree and are in true relationship with Jesus, we see what is happening in the world around us and know our voices and actions can make a difference. When we take our role as United Methodist Christians in a global society seriously, we can’t sit in our trees and wait for someone else to fix things. We’re called to be advocates for social justice. We question things that are happening in our world. When Jesus calls us into relationship with our neighbors around the world, we are called to act on behalf of all God’s children. When we come down from the branches of the trees, we are called to compassion.
When we come down from the trees, we realize a life dedicated to Christ is more than just 1 hour on Sunday morning. The church is all of us, growing and learning through worship and discipleship, prayer, Bible study, and fellowship. When we come down from the trees, we realize the church isn’t made up of only 1 person – one leader, one staff person, one ministry. In order to be the church God intends for us to be, we all have to be involved – to offer our service, our presence – no matter what our age or ability level.
Zacchaeus accepted Jesus’ invitation to come down from the tree and be in relationship with him. And Zacchaeus was changed. Are we different because Jesus has called us down from the trees? When we accept the invitation to share a meal with Jesus, are we really ready to admit that our way of acting as Christ’s followers in the world isn’t always what it should be and try in the days ahead to respond differently?
Jesus still says, “Hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today” and always. How will you respond?
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