Abide - Luke 19

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Lizzie Reynolds offers the community a reflective space about the dimensions of adoration and gratitude through the pages of the Gospel of Luke.

If you long for a change of pace and moments of contemplation, Lizzie will be helping us explore the themes in Luke 19, where Jesus confronts Zacchaeus.

Speaker: Elizabeth Reynolds
Chapel Date: Wednesday March 2, 2022
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Podcast Transcript

Welcome to Abide. I'm so glad you are here and I am here - the Spirit is here and the Scriptures are here. And this is a time for us to pull away to find our spaces of quiet, to close the door, and, you know, maybe take a break from the many thoughts that you think about, from the concerns that you have, from your calendar, your schedule, your responsibilities. Maybe for these 30 minutes you can abandon all of that and pull away from it. We can come and ask the Spirit to refresh us; we can ask the Good Shepherd to guide our thoughts into truth, encouragement and love.

So, if you haven't already, find a place to be in prayer. And that might be sitting, that might be lying down. It's important to be relaxed and comfortable in this time of prayer, but also alert and awake; ready to listen, ready to interact with the Spirit, ready to open. And so, let's take a nice deep breath in together as we settle into this space, and exhale out. And again, let's inhale, and exhale.

And you might just imagine with me a little trapdoor maybe in the back of your neck. Open that door and just allow all the many thoughts and concerns and demands to just make their way out. They get a lot of action and they get a lot of time within. And so, this is a time where we can open that trapdoor and escort out our continual thoughts, maybe that bring us down - the ways that we think about ourselves, or the work we're doing, or the world, or different patterns of being and thinking that we can just strangle out the good.

So, as we escort all those things out, you can keep that door open if you'd like throughout the prayer time or you can close that now and settle into this space, trusting our time together and the Spirit's guidance. You can begin to relax your face. You can begin to open up spaces in your mind and your heart. I sometimes like to think of an open sky, vast and glorious. Maybe it's bright and blue. Maybe there's a few passing clouds. I like to think of the sky – the image of a smile that the sky is, delighting – in me, in the day, in life.

So, may our thoughts now be vast, open, not restricted. We, may be soft and free. Maybe just the thought of this brings a smile to your own face. Relax in your body. Jesus is here and ready to receive you and to receive me as we are; to love us, to embrace us afresh this hour.

Our gratitude practice today involves the word home. Where is home for you? Who are- what are the walls like? What is the landscape? What is the language? What are the sights, sounds, smells of home? Maybe you've lived in one home before. Maybe you've lived in so many homes you cannot even count. But I'd love for us to spend a few moments now reflecting on our physical homes and what they've been like, and who's been a part of them? So, I'll give you a minute now to allow the Spirit to guide you and unfold this word, home.

It's amazing how God uses all of our senses to weave together this word. And maybe you're like me and you've lived in many places, and so it's almost as if all of these physical homes have made their way into my heart forever so I carry many homes within myself. It may be a lifetime of addresses and walls and landscapes and languages. Maybe all these physical spaces have been dwelling places of Jesus with me, with you. And I'm sure these homes have had laughter, tears, there’s probably been arguments, anger, joy and celebrations. There's so much depth in a life, and in the homes – in the ways in which God has dwelt with us.

And so, Lord, we say thank you. We have grateful hearts for all the many spaces you have provided for us, and how ultimately you invite us to make you our home. And we are able to invite you to come home within us. And so, this leads into today's scripture reading, which is about a home.

And we're continuing in Luke, and this is Chapter 19, verses 1 to 10. Listen to this reading, and as I read, maybe you can use your imagination: what does this narrative look like and feel like smell like and sound like? And allow your imagination to create this- this story today.

“Jesus entered Jericho, and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zaccheus, and he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man, he could not because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a Sycamore fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and he said to him, “Zaccheus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

So he came down at once and he welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter. “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner. But Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look Lord, here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I've cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

This is the word of the Lord. May the Spirit guide these words.

As we sit in silence together, allow me to read the passage again. I'll read it in two parts and we'll pause after each part for some reflection.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man, he could not because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a Sycamore fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. And when Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and he said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So it came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”

As you know, Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem and here he is, He is entering Jericho, and He's passing through. I'm just reminded how Jesus is passing through in and out of our day; passing through as we get up and shower and make breakfast, go to meetings, travel, commute, get on the computer... He's always passing in and through the mundane and the daily needs of life. Do you see Him? You know He's there.

Now there's this man, Zacchaeus, and he's a chief tax collector, and he's wealthy. But this is not the main point of the story. Zaccheus is interested in Jesus and he's keen to see Him too - listen to him. He's probably heard about Him, and so he runs and he heads up this tree. He's looking over the crowds and trying to get a good look at this guy. He's a man that's seeking. He’s curious. I wonder what you're seeking today- what you're curious about and what you're running up a tree to find and to get a better look at. I wonder if it's worthwhile or if it's just passing... If it's ‘here today and gone tomorrow’ kind of stuff.

So here's Zacchaeus is in the tree. And Jesus stops right there and he looks up, and he says, “Zacchaeus, come on down right now. I'm going to your house today.” So he came down in all at once Zacchaeus gladly brings him over. And isn't it beautiful that once again, Jesus knows everyone's name?

I wonder if in the midst of your coming and going in your day that you notice Jesus calling your name, wanting you to look at Him, wanting you to spend time with him. And so Zacchaeus, without- right away- says, “Come!” You know it's not as if Zacchaeus has said, “Wait a minute, I gotta clean up my house make sure I have enough food and I should probably clean up my act too because this is- this is a big guy and he's quite holy.”

It's- it's like Zacchaeus, none of that mattered. He said, “Come on into my house.” I wonder how often we are concerned with what our spaces are like? Seems that Jesus doesn't mind. He's happy to sit in the middle of our mess, in the middle of our mental mess, our heart mess. He's not afraid to come into our homes where there's arguments and messes over there and untidiness... He wants to come in. He wants to spend time with. Here we have Zacchaeus, a keen Child of God, seeking after this truth. And we have Jesus, a keen savior who has come to save the lost. And what a beautiful meeting, and what a beautiful invitation for us to know we are sought after. And we are to respond some way.

I'm inspired by Zaccheus's freedom to say, “Yes, gladly come right now.” The story reads on. All the people saw that- all the people saw this and they began to mutter, “He's going to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zaccheus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord. Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a Son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

It's interesting how the crowd makes a lot of judgments and assessments of Jesus and Zacchaeus. And yet, Zacchaeus and Jesus are so focused on one another that those thoughts and accusations mean nothing. Something happens to Zacchaeus in the house with Jesus. He's seen, and he's known, he's accepted. And in that great loving connection, Zacchaeus changes. He's transformed; he's disarmed. And it's like he found the greatest treasure and wants to give everything away and change. This is what the presence of Jesus is like: it's softening and disarming, and humbling and loving and so full of grace.

When you are in the presence of Jesus, do you know that you're seen and that you're known just as you are? Did you know that Jesus comes to sit with the sick and the lost, the weak? ...That Jesus is daily looking and finding and changing lives for those that invite him in?

How can Jesus’ focus on you - how can Jesus’ being comfortable in your house and in your being, in your space and in your sin - how can it soften you? How can it release you into greater freedom, into greater generosity of your life for the world and for Him? In this connection between Zacchaeus and Jesus, Zacchaeus is transformed. He turns around. There's a repentance, and fruit is born as he gives generously. And Jesus declares praise that salvation is come.

And so what do we do with these words today? I think we should come home. Come home into ourselves, come home to where Jesus is and encounter his life-giving presence – His grace-filled, disarming presence. I have a beautiful poem I'd like to close our time in prayer with today, and it's by Jane Hooper. And the poem’s called, “Please come home.” And it reminds me a lot of this story of Zaccheus and Jesus, that Jesus does desire to come and be with us, and we don't need to feel ashamed for all that we are. And as we do practice coming home to ourselves into our lives into our regrets in our sin and our shadows, Jesus can do his transforming work. Then we can more freely come out into the world and bless, by being ourselves.

And so hear these words of this poem. It’s entitled, ‘Please come home.’ “Please come home. Please come home. Find the place where your feet know where to walk and follow your own trail home. Please come home. Please come home into your own body, your own vessel, your own earth. Please come home into each and every cell and fully into the space that surrounds you. Please come home. Please come home to trusting yourself and your instincts and your ways and your knowings, and even the particular corpse of your personality. Please come home. Please come home. Then once you are firmly there, please stay a little while, and come to a deep rest within. Please treasure your home. Please love and embrace your home. Please get a deep, deep sense of what it's like to be truly home. Please come home. Please come home. And when you're really, really ready, and there's a detectable urge on the outbreath, then please come out. Please come home and please come forward. Please express who you are to us and please trust us to see you and hear you and touch you and recognize you as best we can. Please come home. Please come home and let us know all the nooks and crannies that are calling to be seen. Please come home and let us know the more that is there, that wants to come out. Please come home. Please come home and for- for you belong here now. You belong among us. Please inhabit your place fully so we can learn from you, from your voice and your ways in your presence. Please come home. Please come home. And when you feel yourself home, please welcome us too. For we too forget that we belong and are welcome, and that we are called to express fully who we are. Please come home. Please come home, you and you and you and me. Please come home. Please come home. Thank you, Earth, for welcoming us in. And thank you touch of eyes and ears and skin. Touch of love for welcoming us. May we wake up and remember who we truly are.
Please come home. Please come home. Please come home.”

As we close this time of prayer today, we each have a keen desire to come home within ourselves – to know Jesus is there welcoming us in the midst of our chaos, in the midst of our fears, our sorrows, our unknowns. And that in that space we can be transformed in his love and enveloped in his truth. And we can continue to come out into the world to bring peace and joy and love as we have experienced with Jesus in our being.

And so God, we close this prayer today, saying, “Glory be to the Father, to the Son, to the Spirit, as it was in the beginning, as it is now, and is it ever shall be, world without end.”

Go in peace my friends.

— End of transcript —