“19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The Parable of the Ten Minas 11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”” (Lk 19:1–27 ESV)

Massive losses taken, the Faith Mindset allows All On the Line mentality. Who do you think you are, prancing about and prattling that you and yours are “Religious”, “Christian”, “Believers” if Christ’s own price of admission was death on a Cross? And so we have endearing and fruitful Hope that the massive losses as taken, as envisioned, as visage of Today’s Cost of Discipleship, will on the flipside spell Something Saved.

To each an occasion to be like a youth once more, to be educated, to be Taught, to be Mentored and Preached To. Happenstance Joy and What Fun to be therein Blessed and Cared Upon, devil-may-care and nevermind the massive losses as Taken but all things told, taken with some Joy in the heart: the Price of Christ’s body and blood being a few mil, a few hundred k, a few thousands.

Because the lawsuit as “continued” this day (“I just serve notice I am still disputing the charges as levied against me”) is the continuation of heartfelt Plea, to you, free love and freedom, free body and Blood broken, because your lawsuit against you has been Paid For by a sin-bearing Substitute. The mock horror factor of, “I hereby note you are demanding hours of my time to contest your mock charges”, has been replaced with, “I can carry on in fulfilling and life-affirming Life’s Work, because Jesus has stopped the mouths of all critics”. Allora, we rocket forth into Faithful Continuation of a Father Above, easily at times criticized or bearing our exasperation at what Satan has gotten away with, nevermind “gotten away with”: “murderously set into motion”. But one weekend can change the entire Frame of Mind of the populace. Only this, that they do not say “So-and-so certainly is a sinner, but Jesus? He isn’t a sinner!”. Captain American, he isn’t a sinner. Rocky, he ain’t a sinner any longer is he, now?

Covered by the blood, we are those wheedling out an existence always nervous we didn’t quite Capture and Fast Enough and go Limbo under the bar, quite to Save the Gestalt and Gameday Plausibilities. We were fighting a devilish Alternate. Sad, too, that War means real losses and real pain and real heartbreak. Jesus knew as much on that Sad Tree where He hung until twilight. How could He, minus His own personal Christ-Figure, have known on day Three He’d still—as promised—arise?

Rolodex ad infinitum, we Marvel, to raise up a child, hey, is this critic of my whole Enterprise… as youthful and inexperienced as they are unto Me, what and to whom am I like them to? Are we also messy-diapered children to some? But the deep lack of consonance with self-flagellation and self-suspicions: “look, if not lust then to rule I covet, I covet to be the one these new believers come grovelling to”. Their weird vision of some convenient “new believer” who shows up, has this weird notion of some church always in the new believer’s life, some refusal to acknowledge: they don’t show up because look what we did to those who did show up! Maybe I am the one who’s the hindrance in the mixture! Maybe these “unbelievers” are a bit smarter about the rascally bishop’s motives. And his or her Personal Sin.

We need be spotless, and ready to take “massive losses” in order to usher in the Advent of a New Tomorrow, Christians newly-minted who let’s face it, we just don’t “like”. Who muddy up the pews as we view things. Who challenge us and show us the offense of the Cross. Who are strangely warmed by claims already and Now to have been Forgiven.