Kayla Bonewell
Skyline Community Church
Oakland California
Oakland California
Luke 19:1-10
November 4, 2007
November 4, 2007
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; 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 said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' " But Zacchaeus 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."
The Blue Marble is a famous photograph of the Earth taken on December 7, 1972, 35 years ago, by the crew of the Apollo 17 at a distance of about 29,000 kilometers. It is one of the most widely distributed photographic images in existence. To the astronaunts, Earth had the appearance of a child's glass marble(hence the name). This photo was released during a surge in environmental activism during the1970's and has forever changed the way humans see the Earth. Instead of only seeing the Earth from our perspective on the ground, as endless, majestic, and solid, we can now see Earth's frailty, vulnerability, and isolation amid the expanse of space.
The Blue Marble is a famous photograph of the Earth taken on December 7, 1972, 35 years ago, by the crew of the Apollo 17 at a distance of about 29,000 kilometers. It is one of the most widely distributed photographic images in existence. To the astronaunts, Earth had the appearance of a child's glass marble(hence the name). This photo was released during a surge in environmental activism during the1970's and has forever changed the way humans see the Earth. Instead of only seeing the Earth from our perspective on the ground, as endless, majestic, and solid, we can now see Earth's frailty, vulnerability, and isolation amid the expanse of space.
Carl Sagan, the famous American Astronomer and author of the novel and movie “Contact,” wrote a book entitled Pale Blue Dot, named after this photograph. In a commencement address he delivered in May of 1996, Sagan related his thoughts on the deeper meaning of the photograph.
"We succeeded in taking that picture [from deep space], and, if you look at it, you see a dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you know, everyone you love, everyone you've ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of all our joys and sufferings, thousands of confident religions, ideologies and economic doctrines. Every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilizations, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every hopeful child, every mother and father, every inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every superstar, every supreme leader, every saint and sinner in the history of our species, lived there - on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. Our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. It's been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish this pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”
This week I’ve been reflecting on the power of perspective. Today we heard the story of
Zacchaeus from the gospel of Luke. This story does not appear in the other 3 gospels as many stories do. Zacchaeus, an Aramaic name which means “pure” or “clean” is described as a chief tax collector and very rich. Most likely he would have been seen as a traitor to his nation and his faith, a very un-liked person. Tax collectors in biblical times aren’t like H&R Block tax preparers today. Basically the system of Roman tax collection was un-fair, and so Zacchaeus was not just an employee of a corrupt system, but also he would have been able to take advantage of the system for himself and charge more taxes than were due in order to keep the extra for himself.
In today’s story this rich man is curious about Jesus. The scripture tells us he “was trying to see who Jesus was.” Not what he looked like, or who his friends were, or what cell phone carrier he used, but “who Jesus was.” So Jesus is coming by, but there’s a big crowd around. And Zacchaeus is short. So what does he do? He runs ahead and climbs a sycamore tree so that he can get a better view. Walter Rauschenbusch, a Christian theologian, likened this to a corporate executive shimmying up a telephone pole. When was the last time you climbed a tree? No, really, think about it. When was it? Most likely you were probably a child. So here we have a rich tax collector, climbing a tree like a little child. I wonder, was that weird for Zaccheaus? What was the first thing that passed through his mind? Did he think he might look ridiculous up there? How did he think climbing a tree would help him “see who Jesus was”? Of course we weren’t there, and we can never really know what happened in that tree, but let’s take a moment to step into his sandals, to imagine ourselves as Zaccheaus.
Picture the crowd. This Jesus, whom I’m heard so much about, is in the middle of it. This might be my only chance to catch a glimpse. I don’t know him personally, nor do I know his friends. I’ve maybe even collected exorbitant taxes from these people so it’s not like they’d be extending any one-on-one invitations to me. The crowd is moving fast. Hurry, think of a plan. Maybe I could climb on top of a roof to see him? But who is really going to let me in-or on top of their house? Okay, maybe I could push through the crowd? But again, I’m not a very popular person. No, it would be better to see him from a distance. Okay…well, there’s a sycamore tree up the way…Alright, if I run at full speed I’d have time to get high enough up to see him when he passes by. Great! I’m running, I see the tree. Climbing… Alright, here I am, crouching on this branch. I kinda wish there were more leaves around so I would be better hidden…I really do look silly up here, so much for my “high-and-mighty” reputation. Wow. There he is! How can this guy be so popular? I wish I could be popular…of course I really don’t have any close friends because of my occupation. Huh, even kids are close to this guy. I do have some nieces and nephews, but I really can’t go visit them since its considered “unclean” for others to let me, a tax collector, into their home. Oh my gosh! Look at all those women! He’s talking with them just like it’s no big deal! I can’t believe this guy! If he and I were friends, maybe he could set me up on a date? You know, there truly IS something special about this Jesus. I can really see how he interacts with people from this perspective. He would never cheat them like I have. I wish I could start over. I wish I had the courage to treat others like he does. But how would I start? I wouldn’t even know how to begin? I can’t do this by myself, but there’s no one to help me. Not a soul in this town who doesn’t hate my name. Well, at least I got to see him. At least I can say, “I saw him when.” 
Whether we snap a photo from a spacecraft, climb a tree, or step outside the comfort of our regular routines and surroundings, the experience of taking a step back to discover what hasn’t been apparent to us is invaluable. My minister in Oklahoma once told me that every week when she was preparing to write her sermon, she would go into the sanctuary and sit in a different pew, trying to see the church through the eyes of the person who usually sat there each week.
And now, the most important part of gaining perspective, and hopefully the fruit of our efforts, lies in coming back down. Zaccheaus didn’t bring his sleeping bag in the tree and spend the night, but instead answered Jesus’ call. When Jesus came to the place, he
looked up and said to him, “Zaccheaus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” A miracle! Unexpected grace. Overwhelming opportunity! He quickly comes down and surprises everyone by offering to quadruple restoration to those he defrauded and give ½ of his possessions to the poor. Who is this man Zaccheaus? Is he the same man that climbed up the tree? Or a different human now that he has gained perspective?
What situations in your life need a fresh set of eyes? Only you will know what problems or conditions you face that could use a new point of view or outlook. The most important thing to remember, however, is to not get lost in the vision from the spacecraft, but to come back down to Earth and to do something about it. Perspective is a gift from God. Let us be aware, open, and brave enough to embrace these opportunities. 
