We can all probably recall the Sunday school song about Zacchaeus, but that “wee little man” and his
encounter with Jesus reveals an important lesson. It is interesting to notice that Jesus, upon calling
Zacchaeus down from the tree, did not rip into him with a long lecture or sermon about what a scoundrel
and cheat he was. Neither did Jesus isolate him, shame him or otherwise try to punish or make an
example of him. Instead, Jesus invited Zacchaeus into relationship. Sharing a meal with someone in the
first century had far-reaching and profound social implications, and Jesus doing so with Zacchaeus the
tax collector was nothing less than scandalous. But as with many other life-changing encounters that
people had with Jesus, we see that Jesus found it important to connect with Zacchaeus in order to lead
him toward transformation. No doubt this did not sit well with many, including the religious elite of that
day. And if we are honest, this may not sit all that well with us as we apply it to our children. But it is
difficult to read the Gospels or think about our own transforming encounter with Jesus and deny that he
uses a relationship (connection) to bring about real and lasting change in response to our sin (defiance).