Today’s scripture: Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Kristin Herrmann):
During the summer before my freshman year of college, I received a mailing about the college’s Greek system. The pledge period lasted a week and appropriate attire for the first night was casual, increasing in formality each evening throughout the week. My school was small (about 800 students), and I had never felt drawn to sorority life. Yet as pledge week neared, I still hadn’t found “my place” on campus and decided to see if a particular chapter was a good fit for me.
As long as I could remember, I had excessive sweating (medically called hyperhidrosis) in my hands and feet. Sweat literally dripped from my fingertips or rolled down my wrists, soaking the cuffs of my shirts, multiple times a day. It was horribly embarrassing, and I learned how to hide it the best I could with the clothing I wore. I wore dark colored, heavy materials that hid the marks my hands left as I wiped them on my thighs or crossed my arms before having to touch something. I could never wear cute sun dresses with strappy sandals.
The dorm hallway was a flurry of nervous excitement as everyone readied for the first night of pledge week. It was obvious to me that my casual short outfit that allowed me to hide my sweaty hands was sub-par to the colorful sundresses everyone else was wearing. As girls sat in the hallway painting their toenails before slipping on their flip-flops, I decided not to participate. I didn’t want to stand out on a night designed to for one to fit in. I was just thankful I hadn’t declared my intent to participate to my roommates. As the pledges gathered in the common area outside the dormitory, I watched from my darkened window.
I understand why Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a tree in order to see Jesus. He wanted to participate in the occasion without drawing attention to himself. Since he was a chief tax-collector, we can infer he was not well-liked. Tax collectors were not only despised for their vocation, they were also considered religiously unclean. People stayed away from tax-collectors so that they wouldn’t be tainted by association.
There are lots of reasons we feel like outsiders. It could be something big, like a vocation that alienates you from your peers. It could be a small physical characteristic no one but you even would care about. But whatever it is, today’s reading tells us that Jesus sees us wherever we are and wants to be with us in that space.
Thought for the day: Have you invited Jesus into the areas of your life where you feel you don’t belong?
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.