You know Donald Trump is Zacchaeus, right?
After last week’s scripture lesson, I was tempted again to start thinking, “Yep, Jesus definitely favors the poor over the rich. Lazarus goes to heaven. Rich man goes to hell…” No question.
Yep, I got it. I don’t like it, when I consider that I’m probably a little more like the rich man than the poor -- eating sumptuously...pretty often. Walking past those in need. Falling into the tip-top percentages of the world’s wealthiest people with my income and privilege. Yep, Jesus loves the poor not the rich…Got it. Lazarus goes to heaven. Rich man goes to hell...no question. [But it was our kids who had the question…Micah...]
Jesus surprises us again with mercy beyond compare...and calls the rich, wildly unpopular tax collector down.
You know that’s Donald Trump, right? Rich, wildly unpopular tax collector? I don’t have to convince anyone that he’s rich. Now he’s a tax collector, as our latest Chief of State, you might say that he too is our chief tax collector. And now, record-low approval ratings this week: 36% as of Tuesday. (Average for presidents since the 1950’s in their first quarter is 63%.) Gallop
Can you imagine what that must be like? People hate him! I pretty much hate him. I know Republicans who hate him! His own party! Can you imagine what that must be like? Up in a tree all by yourself. He acts like it doesn’t bother him a bit, and I have little hope that he’ll ever show an ounce of vulnerability or sensitivity -- it’s one of the reasons he’s so despised...
And yet, we have a God who enters our town and “passes through it,” as the text says. We have a God, Jesus the Christ who looks up at him, and says, “Donald, hurry and come down. For I’m must stay at your house today.”
This is not meant to be offensive to those of you who may be Trump supporters or at least Trump defenders; this is offensive to all the Trump haters, all the Trump dis-approvers, which seems to be the majority, even if Zacchaeus might be calling those reports fake news.
Donald Trump is Zacchaeus! And Jesus loves Donald Trump, Jesus loves rich, unpopular, tax collectors, too! [What, no grumbling, like in the text? No “Ah man, he has a gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner!”?]
This is our God! Mercy. Grace. Forgiveness. Welcome. Offered to everyone. Just when you think, you understand Jesus, he goes and does something like this. And there’s more where that came from, remember? The criminal he pardons on the cross? [pause] As they’re hanging together in excruciating pain? “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus in our story -- it’s very important to note -- makes the first move here: First he comes through town, then he finds Zacchaeus up in that tree. Zacchaeus doesn’t call out to him, Donald Trump doesn’t approach Jesus and invite him to dinner. Jesus makes the first move toward him, just as Jesus always makes the first move toward us.
(That’s the idea behind infant baptism, btw. We don’t get a say in it! It’s already done! Salvation has already come to this house!) Very important to note. Our merciful and loving Christ has already invited himself to Trump’s house, made the first move, offered salvation, forgiveness, hope, love, mercy and healing: “Hurry and come down from there!”
“Come down, Zacchaeus, from this high place where you have been defrauding, oppressing, leaving behind, climbing on top of those who have little, climbing on trees! Stop it!” God says this to us too: we’re all pretty rich in this country. (What did I say last week? $40,000/year = wealthiest 0.57% globally)
“Come down from there, brother, sister. If you really want to see me, climbing up high into the tree won’t help. If you really want your sight restored, then come down and open up your home. Don’t hide up there. Share in community down here.”
The first part of our text today is about a blind man. But once again -- ah, Luke is so good! -- we see that that there are actually two blind men in our reading today. (Remember the parable of the two lost sons?) Two blind men here, and one of them is named Zacchaeus.
And Jesus heals both of them!
Jesus makes the first move. We just get to respond, sisters and brothers in Christ. Because Jesus passes through our town too. Calls us down from being up high above (or at least separate from) the rest. Jesus re-members us too. Jesus re-connects us to one another. Challenges us by inviting himself over, and in so doing salvation arrives. We just get to respond.
Zacchaeus, in the story, responds...immediately: “Lord, half of my possessions, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone,” Donald Trump says, in the Gospel of Luke, “I will pay back four times as much!” Can you imagine! When the poor have good news brought to them, or simply food. When the downtrodden have justice returned to them, equality, a place at the table, a level field, a restoration of stolen funds, then walls are torn down, trust is rebuilt, enemies become friends and the world starts looking again like God first created and intended it to be: a garden.
“Leave that tree in the garden alone, Zacchaeus. Let it be, Donald, don’t climb all over it, and use it to get ahead or above others. Let’s go eat together instead.”
He too is a “son of Abraham.” In Luke chapter 13 Jesus called a woman a daughter of Abraham -- that woman who had an unclean spirit that had crippled for 18 long years, and she was bent over. She was bent down, below the crowd. Zacchaeus had climbed up, above the crowd. And both of them are granted salvation from Jesus. This is our God!
Just when you think you understand, Jesus forgives and grants salvation to “that one” too! That’s amazing grace...when people start sharing, start connecting, forgiving…when the wealthy let go, and poor receive justice...when we truly see each other.
God is in our midst, as this good work begins anew today. God in our White House, in our Senate and House, God is in our Supreme Court, and in the halls of our state capitols. In fact, Christ passes through all of our town and stops. God invites us down too, enters our homes and our lives anew. And now we can’t help but respond!
Thanks be to God...for salvation has already come to your house! AMEN.
So, if soooooo many people despise Trump how did he get to be my president?
ReplyDelete