The Christians from that little Tabernacle saw my father through the compassionate eyes of Jesus. They not only saw him, they reached out to my father and welcomed him into their little service. At first he would not go, but eventually he did. I remember walking down that old gravel road, as if it were yesterday, my aunt, my dying father, and I.
That chapel was not a cathedral! It was a rough-hewn pine lean-to. The poor folk who built it took pride in it, but it wasn’t much. Every Wednesday night, and especially that night, for us it became the revival of the greatest cathedral in Europe. That night the Savior supped with my dad.
As old Brother Devall, a plumber by day and lay preacher by night began to preach, I watched my father bury his head in his hands. I will never, ever, forget what happened next, for I was seated right next to him. My father dropped on his knees into the sawdust floor of that Tabernacle and he wept like the broken man that he was.
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Old Brother Devall came down from that little pulpit, laid his hands on my dad, and began to pray for him. Soon, every person in that chapel came over and prayed as well. Prayer surrounded me as I watched my father come into the Kingdom of God. He became a changed man. Within months, I would stand over his grave and grieve his loss, but I knew something wonderful had happened to my daddy.
Years later, when I was lost and far from God, I would remember that event. For the Jesus who saw my dad, who welcomed him, who changed him, would do the same for me.
My beloved, I want to lift up this Jesus to you. Some of you are seated in these pews today, but in reality you are in a Sycamore tree, looking, searching, hoping to catch a glimpse of mercy. He is here. Our Savior who came for us, who died in our place, and who rose again that we might have life, is here today. Why don’t you come on down? Why don’t you, in your heart of hearts, right now, accept His divine invitation? He sees you, He welcomes you, and He will transform you.
This is the ministry of the Church. This is your work as Christians. To go to the places where Zacchaeus’ hide, to look at them with the eyes of Christ, to welcome them, and to go where others refuse to go. For you see, Zachaeus’ Gospel is my Gospel and yours. It is the Gospel we need to be proclaiming in our world, in our nation, in our homes.
Is Zacchaeus’ Gospel your Gospel? The Gospel of Grace is the only Gospel. That is good news for Zachaeus, and for you and me.
Father, we are all ragamuffins. We are all twisted in parts of our souls. But, we thank You that You see us, You welcome us, and You will change us. Some of us have experienced that years ago. But today we have lost the luster of grace. Restore it to us today, Lord. Some of us are burdened in our sins, our past, and our shame. We are still twisted. I thank You, Lord Jesus, that today, You are still bending down in Your amazing grace to give us the kiss of forgiveness.
Help this church to announce the Gospel of Grace to this community and as they join with other churches, to publish this Good News to a world of Zacchaeus’ looking and searching for mercy. In Your Name. Amen.
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Michael Milton is Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, TN.
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1 Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel (Multnomah, 2000), 17.
2 Ibid. 58-59.
3 Ibid, 60.
4 Richard Selzer, M.D., Mortal Lessons: Notes on the Art of Surgery (New York: Simon & Shuster, 1978), 45-46.
