If you walked into my cell four years ago and told me a 2,000-year-old tax collector held the key to my psychology, I would have told you to keep walking. But in the "Laboratory of Shame," the ledger of our lives eventually has to be balanced.

In this episode, we dive into the gritty, historical reality of Zacchaeus. Forget the Sunday School songs. We are looking at the "Balsam King" of Jericho, a high-stakes financial player who traded his belonging for a Roman contract. We explore the archaeology of 1st-century Jericho, the "Vegas of the Judean Desert," and why Zacchaeus’s decision to climb a tree was actually an act of radical "social suicide" to reclaim his soul.

What we cover today:

• The Customs House vs. The Sanctuary: How we build "offices" to protect ourselves but end up in isolation.
• The Science of Sunk Cost: Why we wrap our potential in "napkins" of fear and how to break the shroud.
• Neuro-Theology of Belonging: How Jesus’s invitation to "stay at your house" neurochemically heals the pain of social rejection.
• The 4 Life Truths: A manifesto for the man or woman ready to stop hiding in the branches and start living in the Arena.

Whether you are behind razor wire or a corporate desk, it is time to hike up the robe of your reputation and come down. The King is at the door.