THE BALLAD
OF ZACHEUS
Zacheus was a little
man but he did not think small:
If you could
measure stamina, he towered above the tall.
When huge
Goliaths blocked his view, he fixed his eyes on slits
Between one
body and the next; he saw the world in bits.
He stood on
tiptoe by the hour and hopped up many a height:
He cocked his
head and craned his neck to catch each passing sight.
To add one
cubit to his growth, he bought a peddler’s brew:
Zacheus gladly gulped
it down, but not an inch he grew.
And witty
friends who chanced on him when he had time to sit,
Looked down and
called, “Zacheus friend, are you down in a pit?”
Pretending not
to notice him, their hands they used to cup
And summon him
most urgently, “Come up, Zacheus! Come up!”
The Romans who
ruled
Of publicans to
levy tax upon the conquered land.
The little man,
who sought in vain a more respected place,
Collected tax
in
Zacheus prowled the
warehouse shelves where merchants hid their wool---
No trick of
theirs unknown to him? They paid their tax in full!
The thresher
could not hide his corn, nor the shepherd half his sheep:
Zacheus ranged the
countryside when farmers were asleep.
In
tax-collecting, toil attained what only hard work can:
Zacheus rose to
topmost rank --- a wealthy, little man.
But still they jeered
him in the street; it cut him to the soul.
“Make haste!”
they cried. “Come up, Zacheus! come up from your dark hole!
Within the
Though many
Jews were gathered there, he humbly stood apart.
He bowed his
head and struck his breast and begged the Lord with tears:
“O God, show
mercy unto me --- a sinner, lo, these years!”
Then spoke a
Pharisee up front: “Praise God that I am just,
Unlike that
public sinner there! In my good deeds I trust!”
But God had
blessed Zacheus’ prayer, for news to him was brought
Of a
wonder-working Nazarene who healed and preached and taught.
They quizzed
the Teacher on the point that troubled all the Jews:
“Should
The answer of
the Nazarene Zacheus learned with joy;
It meant no man
had lost his soul whom Romans did employ.
“O harken to
His words! He cried. “My happy heart applauds;
‘Give Caesar
what is Caesar’s due; to God give what is God’s!’”
And many other
things he heard of Jesus, Nazarene,
And travelers
made Zacheus gasp with marvels they had seen.
And oh! His
blessed words of peace, so other-worldly wise!
Zacheus longed to go
unknown or sit in some disguise
At Jesus’ feet,
and learn such lore as how to cope with strife
And lonely pain
and lack of love and all the ills of life.
One day, a
distant murmur rose that swelled into a roar’
A crowd had
surged through city-gates and now approached his door.
He ran to meet the
milling throng; he scurried round the edge
But could not
see what lay beyond that solid, human hedge.
“Wherefore this
crowd in Jericho? I pray you tell me true!”
A boy replied:
“The Nazarene! He is but passing through.”
“O day of
days!” Zacheus thought. “If I could climb a height
His Blessed
Face with my own eyes to catch the briefest sight!”
And running on
before the crowd, a sycamore he spied.
One flying leap
and on a branch Zacheus sat astride.
His leafy
lookout sagged and swayed; the crowd moved quickly by;
But Jesus,
halting, saw a man outlined against the sky!
He smiled and
called, “Zacheus friend, come down! make haste! come
down!
Today I’ll sup
within your house before I leave this town!”
Above Zacheus long had hung, like banner of disgrace,
The jeering
words, “Come up, Zacheus!” --- sweet music to
his ears!
Then grumbling
people told the Lord: “your host is but a knave!”
But Jesus said,
“It is the lost that I have come to save.”
By Mrs. Mary McCormack
___________________________________________________
Epilogue
Sometimes in Life my soul is small
and ‘Zacheus’ is my name.
I fear that all creation mocks my
littleness and shame.
God, grant me strength to climb some tree
where You are passing by.
O, look up, Lord, among the leaves where
waiting You I lie.
Then call my name: “Zacheus
friend! Make haste come down I say,
For I must rest within your house
and sup with you today!”
By Mrs. Mary McCormack
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2009 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved