Stature in Faith
Scripture Text:
Luke 19:1-10 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 because he was short he could not see over 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 the lost.”
Sermon:
I’d like to begin today with a single word, and the word is Stature. Now, this is not a word we use very often, especially in Church. Maybe that’s because one way that it can be used, gives it a meaning akin to pride or conceit: Stature, as in gaining prominence above something or someone else. Not a word that our faith would want expressed, if used in that way. Ironically for me, I was already thinking about the word in regard to what I might preach about today, and it suddenly showed up last week in the book that we are currently using in our Morning Prayer Group here at Church, called Holy Adventure. In that book, the author uses it to describe the size of our faith and the totality of our faith experience. So, OK, maybe when we use it that way, it becomes a little more acceptable. But you know, like so many words in the English language, it’s interesting to look at how many ways we might use it. Stature can mean simply height, or it can also imply a standing, or reputation, and actually, all of these definitions come into play for my message today.
When I was a kid, I loved to climb trees. I’m sure that most of you did too. Some of us probably have the scars to prove it! On the highest point of my grandparent’s property back in northern Michigan, there was a huge, old white pine tree. Just a sapling back in the mid-1800’s when Michigan was stripped almost bare of it’s white pine forests, it was bypassed by the axe, but in the next 100 years it grew to be huge. That was Holy Grail for my tree climbing aspirations! I can still remember the anxiety and adrenalin as I stepped onto those huge lower branches to begin my ascent! (Truth is, a good part of the anxiety was from what my grandpa would have done had he caught me doing this.) But I remember the climb, and I remember the view when I dared go no higher on the thinning branches. It was a fantastic feeling! The world looks so different there when you were only four feet tall or so, and had never been in a high-rise, or an airplane. And the satisfaction of it; talk about stature!
In our gospel reading from Luke this morning, he relates to us an event where Jesus, passing through Jericho, meets a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus happens to be very wealthy. He also happens to be a tax collector. Oh those wretched tax collectors! Despised by the locals, they were actually paid on commission for every denarius that they collected. So he was rich and powerful, and owned a fine home, but had very few friends in his community. Oh, and there was one other thing that we are told about him. He was small in stature. Now, for what possible reason could that be relevant to the story? Luke, at first, appears to be using it to describe Zacchaeus physically, because Zacchaeus actually has to climb a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus above the crowd that is always present around him at this stage of his life. But in doing so, Zacchaeus gains clarity in Jesus’ message and, even more importantly, makes himself obvious to Jesus as he is speaking. Imagine Jesus looking out over the throng, and here’s this little man up in a tree! And people in the crowd are probably yelling at the man and giving him a hard time, because he’s not exactly popular. He’s actually considered to be unworthy to even listen to the teacher. Yet he sought Jesus out amidst the hostile crowd.
But these are the kind of people Jesus reaches out to time and time again, and so he invites himself to Zaccheaus’ house for a meal, and Zaccheaus is converted. He pledges money to the poor, and promises to forgive many of the debts he is owed. Like Zaccheaus, the story too is short, but it is very clear now that what Zacchaeus has gained is stature, faith stature. And that is what Luke wants us to know. He had no good standing or reputation, or even physical stature. But what he had now, was so much more.
This week, we are kicking off our annual fall Stewardship campaign. Thi is the time when even Episcopalians must dust off the word “money” and actually talk about it as a component of Stewardship. A few weeks ago, Rev. Donna mentioned the word in her sermon, and reminded us that money is in fact, good, when it’s used for good things, and that’s exactly right. Still, we can’t seem to shake it’s reputation as being a taboo. It’s absurd though, isn’t it, because it’s so vital to getting things done; things critical to our mission here and God’s work.
Out in the Narthex, I’m sure that you’ve noticed the tree on the wall. The Stewardship committee has decided to go out on a limb, (so to speak!), and in a more public way (and sort of an un-Episcopal way) acknowledge in name only, those individuals and families that make a financial pledge to St. Benedict for 2011. As is our custom here, our leadership team was asked first to consider their pledge, and the “leaves” on that tree now represent over $30,000 in pledges! A wonderful start! It will also hold some leaves that contain some personal testimonies to the other component of Stewardship, which is personal ministry involvement. Those are very moving and inspiring quotes. Altogether, we use this tree to symbolize that same sycamore that Zacchaeus nervously climbed that day in Jericho. And like that tree, or that huge pine back in Michigan, there can be anxiety in the climb, but it can be exciting too and deeply satisfying. For those that climb it’s branches, it represents a change in stature in a very meaningful way: stature in faith. From that vantage point, like Zacchaeus, we strive to, and will succeed to, experience Jesus with more clarity and less distractions.
This week, our pledge campaign materials were mailed out to most of your homes, unless your new and we don’t have your information, and if that’s the case, or if you don’t receive them for any other reason, the materials are on the information table in the narthex. The theme this year of “Growing Together” harkens back to that tree, and it also describes what we feel is truly and blessedly happening here at St. Benedict.
Please give prayerful thought in the days ahead about Stewardship in this place. God wants us here, He wants this faith community here, and He wants us to thrive. You can feel it when you walk in the door. We are doing good things, and like our theme, we are Growing Together; growing together in stature, and we can see Jesus from here!
Amen!
