Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost (Series C)
October 30th, 2016
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
Epistle: 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12
Lesson: Isaiah 1:10-18
Psalm: Psalm 130
CLB Commentary – Dr. Gaylan Mathiesen
This story happens on Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem. While on this journey Jesus has repeatedly warned his followers of what is to come, and He has been giving them many signs of the coming Kingdom, frequently through Jesus’ actions on behalf of the outcast and the marginalized. Luke is also a champion of these people—he first signaled this to us through the passage that Jesus read in the synagogue (chapter 4), but it is also an emphasis that appears throughout Luke’s gospel. For example, the story of Jesus calling to Zachaeus closely follows the story of Jesus healing and helping people in great need who hear that He is nearby—people who saw Jesus as their only hope. Here too, in his customary way, Luke has chosen a most unlikely person to depict as a hero of faith, and only Luke tells us about this despised “wee little man.” But of course there is much more to the story than Zachaus’ lack of physical stature—he was a tax collector, but not just any tax collector—Luke tells us that he was a “chief tax collector.” That means that he would have been in charge of a district with other tax collectors under him, from whom he made even more money. According to historians, the Jericho region was a prosperous region, so it’s no wonder Zachaeus was a very wealthy man.
So what does Luke intend for us in this story? Firstly, imagine that you are walking along with Jesus and His disciples that day, and you spot Zachaeus up in the tree in his expensive robes—what thoughts come to your mind about Zachaeus? Would you think about how your hard-earned money had gone to provide for his luxurious lifestyle, while your family went without many of the daily basic necessities? You seem never to get ahead, and it’s mostly his fault—this traitorous servant of your Roman oppressors. Then, what would you think about Jesus singling this wealthy tax-collector out in the crowd and announcing that He will spend the night in his home?
Very likely many, if not most, in the crowd resented Zachaeus, who got rich off of the tax system at their expense. Zachaeus was a traitor to Israel and an enemy to their happiness and well-being. What’s worse is that they had to live with the knowledge that they were powerless to do anything about this injustice. So why in the world was Jesus now honoring him? Doesn’t Jesus know who this man is? The text presents for us a stark contrast between how the crowd saw Zachaeus, and how Jesus saw him. What would Jesus have seen when he looked at this man? How does this differ from how the crowd saw Zachaeus? Looking at the dialog between Jesus and Zachaeus, on what basis is Jesus declaring Zachaeus a child of Abraham?
The text also presents for us the power of God’s transforming grace. The Jewish understanding of repentance included more than just sorrow for sin—it included restitution. Zachaeus is extravagant with his offer. For example, in the book of Exodus we read that if a person stole someone’s ox, he had to repay with 5 head of cattle; if the stolen animal was a sheep, he would have to repay with 4 sheep. Zachaeus seems to offer close to the maximum payment required. In this passage, Luke is teaching us not with a parable, but with a living transformation of a man right before our eyes. Let us pay careful attention to the connection between Jesus’ words: “I must stay at your house today” and, “Today salvation has come to this house.”
What does this tell you about the Kingdom of God, about what it means to follow Jesus, and about the salvation He brings?