Third Sunday of Lent by Daniel Tipton

Third Sunday of Lent Reflection

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. ²A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.  Luke 19:1-4

I recently sat with a patient who told me how much he enjoys watching the deer walk through woods past his window. Often, these scenes are his only connection to the outside world. The woods provide a respite from loneliness and a connection to something bigger; God is there among the trees. Like Zacchaeus, my patient found a connection to his creator through creation.   

Zacchaeus needed to connect to something bigger than himself. Zacchaeus wanted more than stories about Jesus; he wanted to see and experience Jesus for himself. Zacchaeus needed to connect with Jesus, but the crowd was too big and his wealth and social standing provided too little to make that connection. So, God planted a tree. God gave water to that tree and protected its roots and branches from wind and storm.  In the due course of time, when Zacchaeus needed to make a connection with Jesus, this tree provided exactly what he needed to rise above the fray and meet the one in whom he would find his truth.

I often wonder what would happen to my patient if the trees were gone. Would he see God daily as he does now in the woods? Would his connection to world fade?  Would his peace, his truth, and his life be the same if we cut down the one connection he has to his creator?  What about the rest of us? Like Zacchaeus, we all need help connecting to the world in meaningful and life affirming ways. If we cut down the trees, if we destroy our connections to creation, will we miss out on the good news that Jesus wants to connect with us too?

Let us pray:  For the gifts of the trees, we give thanks, O God! May we trust the safety of the branch and vine to lift us up from the crowded fray. May we hear their gospel preached as their roots and limbs connect us to that which is greater than ourselves. Amen.  

Daniel S Tipton is a hospice chaplain in Asheville, NC.