Jesus Even Loves People Who Already Have Their Christmas Lights Up!

Last night on my drive home I involuntarily began yelling as I drove through my neighborhood. Fortunately the windows of my car were rolled up. What would cause me to scream at the top of my lungs? A Christmas tree and lights! I am sure if someone saw me as I drove by she would have thought I was a madman. Maybe I am, but on November 15^th we still have more than a week before Thanksgiving, and people are already trimming their trees? I even saw Christmas lights at some people’s homes before my Halloween decorations came down—granted I was slow to pull down my ghosts and Jack-o-lantern—but come on!

I have heard the argument from fellow Episcopal priests, that we just need to cede to the growing trend of stretching Christmas out to the day after Thanksgiving, and maybe I am being too harsh, but I draw the line there. Let me at least put up and take down a cornucopia before I have to see a neighbor’s Christmas lights! Of course, all this fuss might make it seem like I do not like Christmas. This is truly not the case!

As a kid the fall semester was in my humble opinion far superior to the spring one! Football starts in August, my birthday falls in September, Halloween is at the end of October, then Thanksgiving comes in November, and finally Christmas happens in December. Each month had its own festive flavor, which may be why I like Christmas to wait its turn. Let each celebration come in due time and let one build upon another. As a kid I really felt like this was the case, but now it’s all about Christmas!

From my perspective Christmas had lots of opportunities throughout the month of December to provide cheerful celebrations. Somehow I imagine that the Christmas parade in my hometown is now sometime in late August, but I knew that when we went out one Monday night at the start of December to see marching bands, floats, and finally Santa Claus himself the secular season of Christmas was underway. I loved going to that parade. I love parades in general. They are a great time to people watch, get free candy, and wave at strangers! I can remember sitting on one my parents shoulders and yelling at the people on the floats to toss me candy; however, what I longed for more than this was to catch the eye of Santa Claus.

As I look back on that feeling when Christmas was confined to December I wonder what would have happened if Santa Claus had gotten down off his float and come over to me to see how I was doing, or what I wanted for Christmas, or maybe even to come over to have dinner with my family. I am pretty sure I would not have known what to do. Of course—spoiler alert—that was not the real Santa Claus, but still it would have potentially changed my life. How much more then did it change Zacchaeus’ life for Jesus to call him down from his spot on the parade route through Jericho?!

Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he. That is typically what we remember about him, but this overlooks the fact that he was a rich, little man who gained his money from dishonest means. That does not sound as good in a kids’ song though! He took taxes from people and to become rich in this profession meant that he took more than was required. Sometimes I think the humor gets lost in the translation, but imagine a wealthy man today, perhaps a billionaire, who in the middle of a parade would go running and scurrying up a tree in his $4,000 suit and $1,000 loafers! The person of Jesus awakened in Zacchaeus something that turned him into a kid again. He was not worried about Christmas creeping into October, but instead this rich man along a parade route just wanted a glimpse of his Lord walking through town. 

When Jesus came by though he called Zacchaeus down from his perch. Jesus’ action enraged those who knew the ruthlessness of the tax collector. They criticized Jesus, but Zacchaeus having realized the pain he had caused his fellow people pledged to pay back his unfair gains fourfold and give to the poor in the community. This sinner underwent such a transformation merely because he climbed a tree to see Jesus, like kid along a parade route. 

Jesus comes to save not those who have been found already, not those who belong already, but those who are lost. To tell you the truth at times we are all lost. We get angry because our neighbors already have their Christmas lights up. We become enraged because things do not go our way. We even tend to think that somehow hating others will overcome hatred. Jesus though wants to save all of us who have gone astray. Instead of feeling lost may we allow Jesus to guide us. Instead of criticizing those on other sides of issues may we invite Jesus to bring us together. Instead of giving up on the rich man may we pray that Jesus finds him and calls him out of the tree and into the life of Christ!