Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house

 Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He as going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

- Luke 19:1-10

Yesterday we read that Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.  For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spat upon.  They will scourge Him and kill Him.  And the third day He will rise again."  But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.  Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.  So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.  And he cried out, saying, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.  And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, "What do you want Me to do for you?"  He said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."  Then Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has made you well."  And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God.  And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Jericho was notorious in Jesus' time as a place of sin, violence, and iniquity.  See the story of the Good Samaritan.

Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.   Zacchaeus is not only a rich man, he is also a chief tax collector.  He is therefore hated among his own people for working for the Romans, and overseeing as chief those who commonly committed extortion as part of their work.  The encounter between Christ and wealthy Zacchaeus gives us an example of what Jesus has taught earlier in the encounter with the rich ruler, that the things which are impossible with men are possible with God; that is, through grace.

And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He as going to pass that way.  My study bible tells us that there are many spiritual interpretations that convey the universal significance of this encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus.  Theophylact understands the crowd as symbolizing sins:  "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus."  St. Ambrose speaks of several parallels:  First, Zacchaeus being short is indicative of short stature in faith and virtue.  Second, Zacchaeus must ascend a tree, showing that nobody attached to earthly matters can see Christ.  Finally, the Lord intending to pass that way reveals that Christ will approach anyone willing to repent and believe.

And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." It's important to note the terms that are used here.  Zacchaeus says he will give his free and generous offering to the poor.   And, on the other hand, he will restore that which he owes to those whom he has cheated.  The restoration isn't a gift, but rather a requirement in the Mosaic Law (Exodus 22:1).   In doing both of these things, Zacchaeus not only fulfills the Law, but also demonstrates a love of the gospel and true repentance.

And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."   The title son of Abraham tells us that Zacchaeus had become like the patriarch of Israel, my study bible says.  In other words, he was counted righteous by his faith, he became generous toward the poor, and he was united to the people of God.  Early records reveal that he eventually became a bishop of the Church.  In Zacchaeus is revealed the full mission of Christ:  "to seek and to save that which was lost."

The story of Zacchaeus truly teaches us to think about what it means that Christ came to seek and save that which was lost.  We often may have images in our minds of what it is to be lost:  Jesus uses the illustration of the one sheep that strays from the flock, for which the shepherd goes out to search (Luke 15:4).  In other encounters, Jesus is bringing back into the fold those who are excluded for various reasons.   The woman with the blood flow is excluded from community, as it renders her unclean, and Jesus restores her, saying, "Your faith has made you well."  (See this reading.)  Lepers are excluded from all community, as their disease renders them unclean as well, but Jesus restores ten; He then makes a point of noting that the only one who gave glory to God was a Samaritan, hated by the Jews, making him a double outsider (see this reading).  We contrast Zacchaeus with the rich ruler, who upheld all the laws from his youth but failed to make the sacrifice asked of him when Christ counseled him to sell his goods and give them to the poor.  Jesus said he would then have treasure in heaven, and he could follow Christ for the gift of eternal life (see this reading).  At the top of that reading, little children are brought to Christ, and the disciples rebuke those who do so, as they are seen to be pestering Him -- but Jesus' response is to embrace these who are 'least of all,' "for of such is the kingdom of God."  A man with a "Legion" of demons, cast aside among those who've strayed from their faith, becomes a type of early evangelist (see this reading).  A notoriously sinful woman becomes Christ's example not only of forgiveness but of great love (in this reading).  In countless ways, the Gospels are filled with those who are excluded for one reason and another, and Christ brings them in to the fold, into His flock.  He creates community, in the most profound sense.  Restoration happens in particular ways for each one, depending on what it is they need and what it is they lack.  Repentance is not left aside but is a means whereby restoration to community becomes possible.  The last thing we may expect of a person as seemingly unlikable and unappealing as Zacchaeus is some sort of comparison with the (perhaps over-sentimentalized) image of a lost sheep gone astray from the flock.   And yet, he serves as Jesus' foundation for the saying that "the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."   In Zacchaeus we find the illustration of the fullness of Jesus' words, that they truly apply to any and all.  There really could not be a person with more strikes against him than this chief tax collector, who has become rich through violence and extortion against his own people.  On top of that, he's done so in collaboration with the occupying army of the enemy, the Romans.   And yet, there our story is, and in the story of the Church, Zacchaeus was to become a bishop.  All of which is to say that we can never assume we know all there is to our faith.  God, who knows the hearts of all, will always surprise us.  We may think we know and understand our faith.  But the fact that what is impossible with man is possible with God will always stun us in its fullness and its examples of true faithful and their stories.  Outsiders, we must remember, are those whom everybody else excludes and despises.  But He brings them in, and makes them His own.  These words of Christ are not just "feel good" sayings.  His fulfillment in the work of God in the world really lets us know how deeply and truly He means it, how "real" this all is.  Think of the shocked crowd, including the man himself, when Jesus announces, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  Let us prepare for more surprises.