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 was 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 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 spit 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.  My study Bible comments that Jericho was notorious as a place of iniquity; it is commonly associated with sinful living.  The parable of the Good Samaritan is set along the road from Jerusalem toward Jericho, where he fell among thieves (Luke 10:30-37).  

 

Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  My study Bible also references our recent reading of the rich young ruler who sought out Jesus (see Monday's Daily Exegesis, in which Christ taught, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God").  My study Bible comments that this encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus demonstrates that grace can accomplish that which is "impossible with men."

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 was 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."  My study Bible tells us that there are many spiritual interpretations of this passage that express the universal significance of this encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus.  Theophylact views the crowd as symbolizing sins.  He writes:  "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus."  According to St. Ambrose there are several parallels here:  Zacchaeus being short indicates his being short on faith and virtue; that Zacchaeus must climb a tree shows that no one attached to earthly matters can see Jesus; and finally, the Lord intending to pass that way shows that Christ will approach anyone willing to repent and believe.  

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  It's important that we understand why it was that tax collectors were considered to be sinners.  They collaborated with the Roman authorities to collect taxes from fellow Jews, but frequently this was accompanied by extortion, as they could use the might of the occupying Roman state to collect more than was owed.  As Zacchaeus says here, he has taken by false accusation.  So here a repentant Zacchaeus makes an offering for restitution (as required in the Law), and beyond.  My study Bible notes that he uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and restore for what he owes those whom he had cheated, as that was not a gift but required by the Law (Exodus 22:1).  By doing both, my study Bible says, Zacchaeus not only fulfills the Law, but also shows his love of the gospel.  

 

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."  My study Bible says that the title son of Abraham indicates Zacchaeus had become like this patriarch of Israel:  he was counted righteous by his faith, he became generous toward the poor, and he was united to the people of God.  In early records of the Church, we're told that he went on to be a bishop of the Church.

Zacchaeus repents so deeply that he turns his whole life around.  He's not only a tax collector, but the chief tax collector.  And he's not just a chief tax collector in Israel, but he's the chief tax collector in this notorious region of Jericho, where apparently all kinds of crime goes on, and the place is known for such.  To be shunned as a sinner in this region must be something indeed -- and of all the people, it is short Zacchaeus, who's climbed a tree to see Him, whom Jesus chooses to give Him hospitality for the day.  There are several things which we can notice about this reading.  We can contrast Zacchaeus, a notorious sinner (the rich chief tax collector of Jericho!) with the rich young ruler in Monday's reading, who knew Jesus as "good Teacher," who had followed all the commandments since his youth, and who desired eternal life and came to seek it from Christ.  This, by all accounts, was a "good" person (Mark's Gospel tells us that Jesus loved him; see Mark 10:21), but he could not relinquish his great possessions to follow Christ.  But here in today's reading we have Zacchaeus, a great sinner, who comes not just to restitution in the Law but to repentance through the grace of Christ, and changes and transforms his entire life -- giving much more than he needs to in order to "make things right" with the poor.  How do we explain this?  It is certainly an illustration of how grace works.  Nothing is done simply by measure with grace, but rather abundantly.  In the Sermon on the Plain, found here in Luke's Gospel, Jesus expresses this spirit of abundance with grace, when He teaches, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you" (Luke 6:38).  Perhaps we may assume that Zacchaeus, experiencing the grace of Christ when Christ invited himself to Zacchaeus' home, has come to understand this sense of abundance in God's grace; thereby giving has become something he understands in a different light than as chief tax collector in Jericho.  This spirit of abundance, in which justice is no longer measured with exactitude but in the spirit of grace, runs all throughout the Gospels, and it qualifies and characterizes the kingdom of God, the blessed life Christ preaches (such as in the Beatitudes).  Perhaps its greatest characterization is found in Christ's statement of Himself as the Good Shepherd, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10; see in context).  We might consider Zacchaeus' life as chief tax collector in this light, getting what he had through the coercion of a great empire and its material power (including occupying soldiers), and extorting the extra he could get through false accusations against his neighbors.  We should compare that to the graciousness of Christ, who openly sought out Zacchaeus, the one who was so eager to see Jesus he climbed a tree to glimpse Him as He passed by, and in front of all the people proclaimed that he had to come down so that Jesus could stay at his home that day.  In our faith tradition, the great sign of Christ is the cross, but in this context of today's reading, we might closely consider why this is so.  The most dreaded Roman instrument of punishment, of coercion, reserved for the worst of criminals, was the cross.  But simply because Christ lay on that Cross, the transforming power of grace at work rendered the Cross the symbol of hope and resurrection for us all.  The instrument of death was transfigured into the instrument of life, abundantly.  Jesus' visit to Zacchaeus' home is another encounter with grace, with the kingdom of God, and Zacchaeus' entire outlook on life seems to have been irreducibly changed, transformed.  Things no longer "add up" the way they used to, apparently, for him.  He becomes one who sees by the light of grace, and so to give half his goods to the poor, and to restore fourfold what he stole, is what he chooses in this new light of Christ, in the transfiguring power of Christ's illumination for his soul, his future.  In this way, Zacchaeus is able to be restored to his identity as a son of Abraham, and he who was lost is claimed for the kingdom of God.  It is a powerful thing to consider what an encounter with grace might do to our souls, to change our whole outlook on the meaning of life and how we live it.  But by far the best example is this outcome of experience, the spiritual fruit we observe in Zacchaeus.  How has your faith changed you?   Are there things you now see that you did not see before?  Is there a way in which the grace and love of God has been experienced by you or someone you know, and created a transformed person in its wake?  For now let us consider Zacchaeus, the short man, and chief tax collector, who humbles himself by running ahead and climbing a tree to see Christ, and is in turn restored not only to his place but claimed for the kingdom of God, and becomes a bishop in Christ's church.  May Christ find rest in our homes and our hearts as well.

 

 

 

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

 

 

Christ and Zacchaeus, Helena Cherkasova, circa 2000, ink and paper, private collection, Moscow.  More information at Bible Odyssey

 

 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 was 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 spit 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, my study Bible notes, was notorious as a place of iniquity and is commonly associated with sinful living (see Luke 10:30, the setting for the parable of the Good Samaritan).   

Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. My study Bible refers us to Luke 18:24-27, a section from this reading involving the rich young ruler.   It says that, similar to Christ's statement in that reading from chapter 18, this encounter between Christ and Zacchaeus demonstrates that grace can accomplish that which is impossible to human beings.

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 was going to pass that way.  My study Bible tells us that there are many spiritual interpretations of this scene to express the universal significance of this encounter. Theophylact sees the crowd as symbolizing sins.  He writes, "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus."  St. Ambrose of Milan sees many parallels.  First, Zacchaeus being short indicates his being short on faith and virtue.  Second, Zacchaeus must ascend a tree, as no one attached to earthly matters can see Jesus.  Finally, that the Lord intends to pass that way reveals that Christ is 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."   Zacchaeus, in a certain sense similar to the blind man in yesterday's reading (above) is also an outcast in the society.  St. Cyril of Alexandria comments that as chief tax collector, and therefore a great sinner, he would be included with the prostitutes by the Pharisees as examples of complete depravity.  But Christ knows the reality of his heart, and calls him to come away from the life that has made him an outcast.  We observe that the climbing of the sycamore was unusual; in the context of the time and place this would be seen as a foolish act -- but it tells us about Zacchaeus' hopes and desire to see Jesus.  St. Ambrose of Milan says of Jesus comment that He must stay at Zacchaeus house, that although Christ had not yet heard his voice of invitation, he has heard his good will.

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."  My study Bible comments that Zacchaeus uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and restore for what he owes those whom he had cheated -- and the latter was not a gift but required by the Law (Exodus 22:1).  By doing both, therefore, Zacchaeus is not only fulfilling the Law, but also shows his love of the gospel.  

 

 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."  My study Bible tells us that the title son of Abraham given to Zacchaeus here indicates that he had become like this patriarch of Israel:  Zacchaeus is now counted righteous by his faith, he became generous toward the poor, and he was united to the people of God.  The early records of the Church testify that he went on to be a bishop.

St. Maximus of Turin observes that the wealth of Zacchaeus, which  had once been a hindrance for salvation, now becomes a benefit when used properly.  Justice has been served in terms of the Law.  The general requirement in the Law for theft was actually to restore double the amount stolen; here Zacchaeus promises twice that amount to those whom he's overcharged in tax levies by false accusation in order to extort money for himself.  As for the donation of half his goods to the poor, this is almsgiving, indicating a change of heart and character for one who was a chief tax collector.  It is, in the spiritual sense of Christ's teaching (such as to the rich young ruler, and also in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:19-21), a way to use the material things of this world to create "treasure in heaven."  In the gospel teachings of Jesus, it is important to recognize this notion of exchange -- of one life for another, of one way of life for another.  With the rich young ruler who could not accept Jesus' command to give away what he owned, that life was not entered into -- at least as far as we know, and so the Gospels would indicate.  But with Zacchaeus there is an entirely different outcome.  Jesus' reception of Zachaeus, and His intention to stay in his home, is an indication of the change of heart of Zacchaeus, and especially his openness to Christ's teaching and commands.  Under the Law, he lived a particular life.  But the grace of Christ has an entirely different effect upon him.  It's not that he continues his life as a chief tax collector; instead he will go on to serve in the Church, and his worldly goods will also go to help the poor and no doubt others.  This is, in effect, a powerful story in contrast to the rich young ruler, who had kept all the commandments of the law from his youth, but who could not bear to give away his many possessions.  Zacchaeus seems a very unlikable character both from his physical description (he's short of stature and also seemingly foolish in climbing the sycamore tree) and also his particularly detestable position in that society as a corrupt person who works for the Romans (and is a chief tax collector to boot).  But it is Zacchaeus who is saved, and not the rich young ruler, whom we were told Jesus loved, and seems likely to have been from a significant family in the ruling classes of the Temple.  It is Zacchaeus who is named and remembered, and not the rich young ruler.  So this really has to make us pause to think.  What is it that restores Zacchaeus as a "son of Abraham?"  Why is he so distinct from this other attractive figure of the rich young ruler?  For one thing, Zacchaeus is truly willing to change his heart, and to have a complete change of his life, including to give up his wealth both to restore and to do good and help others.  He ultimately will give up his entire way of life, becoming a bishop of the Church.  Truly, it seems that at the heart of "doing good" is a love of God, and a willingness to serve God's purposes.  This desire to help the poor and to restore justice by giving back fourfold whatever he has stolen stems from a desire to get right with God, and to find a way of life that is pleasing to God.  It is a product of love, for it stems from the love of God.  This is not simply fulfilling a political model of goodness, or something that is socially acceptable.  For Zacchaeus goes all the way in terms of turning his life around.  It is a full repentance symbolized in Christ's coming to dwell with him and stay at his house.  This is not about doing a few good deeds to restore oneself in good standing in community, but it is about exchanging one life for another in which Zacchaeus will now serve the kingdom of God as his purpose and means of living his life, rather than the kingdom of Rome that has all the possessions and wealth of the world.  What irony to consider:  that the person was a chief tax collector for the occupying Romans becomes a bishop in the Church which would be persecuted.  Of course, this is not to say that every person must become a bishop or other figure in the Church, but it does tell us where our hearts must be.  Just like Christ's command to the rich young ruler, we must be prepared to put Christ first in our hearts, and to place our goods and resources prayerfully in the hands of God as we seek direction in life.  We don't know where such faith will lead us, but that is the whole point of being freed of great attachment to possessions.  Attachment is a kind of slavery, whereas freedom in Christ means that we are free to live our lives and use our possessions and resources (talents, skills, etc.) in ways that a prayerful life in communion with Christ will lead us toward.   And that is truly freedom indeed that comes with true stature in the eyes of the Lord.  Zacchaeus' new belonging is found in the love of Christ, and the joy that comes in the freedom of expressing that love which flows to others.

 

 

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

 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 was 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 spit 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.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  In yesterday's reading and commentary, we noted that Jesus was approaching Jericho, which was a place notoriously associated with sin.  The encounter between Zacchaeus and Christ, my study bible says, teaches us that grace can accomplish that which is impossible to man (see this reading).  Zacchaeus is not only rich, but he is a chief tax collector.  The tax collectors, as we've noted in earlier readings, were not only collaborators with the occupying Romans, but also frequently took more from their own people than was due in order to profit privately through methods of extortion, using Roman might.   Consider what it means to those who observe Jesus that Zacchaeus is a chief among them.

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 was going to pass that way.  My study bible says that there are many traditional interpretations of this important encounter, so universal is its significance.  Theophylact views the crowd as symbolizing sins, writing of Zacchaeus:  "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus."  St. Ambrose notes several parallels:  First, Zacchaeus being short symbolizes that he's short on faith and virtue.  Next, the fact that Zacchaeus must ascend a tree shows that no one who is attached to earthly matters can see Jesus.  Finally, that the Lord intended to pass that way shows that Christ will approach anyone who is willing to repent and to 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."   We note, as remarked upon in the commentary by St. Ambrose (above), Jesus' clear intent, expressed directly to Zacchaeus.  At the same time, there is the response of the crowd, which complained of Jesus choice to be a guest of one who is a sinner, a chief tax collector.  But we also note the joy of Zacchaeus.

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."  My study bible explains that Zacchaeus uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and restore for what he owes to those whom he's cheated.  The latter is not a gift but was required by the Law (Exodus 22:1).  In doing both, Zacchaeus not only fulfills the Law, but he also willingly shows that he has a love of the gospel.

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." My study bible tells us that the title Jesus gives to Zacchaeus, son of Abraham, indicates that he had become like that patriarch of Israel:  he is counted righteous by his faith, he became generous to the poor, and he is united to the people of God.  Early records indicate that Zacchaeus went on to become a bishop of the Church.

What do we make of the extraordinary transformations we read about in the Gospel?  Here, the transformation of Zacchaeus is possibly among the most surprising and surpassing.  A chief tax collector, as explained above, was a notorious sinner, generally considered among the people to be reprehensible and in extreme disfavor.  But yet, Christ singles out this man Zacchaeus, in order to find him and to restore him as a son of Abraham.  It is a tremendous and personal illustration of the three parables that Jesus told to the Pharisees when they criticized the fact that tax collectors came to hear Him speak:  those of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son (which is found only in Luke's Gospel).  Here, Zacchaeus, this chief tax collector, was lost and is found by Christ, and restored as a son of Abraham -- an illustration of salvation.  We might ask ourselves what qualities this chief tax collector possessed that were used in a wrong direction, and salvaged by Christ for service to the Church.  As chief tax collector, Zacchaeus must have been capable of leadership and management, with a capacity for exercising authority over others.  He would also have been able to work with others who were non-Jews, and come to an understanding of working within and among the Roman system of laws and administration.  His rank most likely gives us to understand that despite crooked dealings, he is a highly intelligent man.  In other words, his wrong direction in life was a poor use of the talents innate to his person, which were gifts of God.  Salvation, then, is a way of not just setting things right with God, but restoring a person to a proper use of gifts.  That is, finding a place which is fitting and right for personal gifts created and bestowed by God.  Zacchaeus' wrong direction was self-chosen and perhaps one apparently available to one of short stature, unimpressive, not a part of the upper or ruling classes to begin with (such as the Pharisees and Sadducees or the priestly class) -- but who was nevertheless highly capable and intelligent.   In our modern age, there are plenty of real life examples of highly intelligent and capable men who made choices to go into a life of organized crime, also practicing extortion and graft, who came from backgrounds which made more legitimate leadership or administrative positions unavailable to them in their own societies.  But Zacchaeus is reclaimed by Christ, becoming a bishop in the Church.  And here is the true restoration:  to be lost and found is to be restored to identity as son of Abraham.  Like the Prodigal Son, Zacchaeus is able to "come home" and find his patrimony, reclaiming true identity.  His acts of both restoration and giving let us know that his heart is sincere in its desire to return to this place of true self through salvation by faith in Christ.  But none of this would have been possible without the intention of Christ in the first place to pass by the place where Zacchaeus had climbed the tree to see Him.  In that we can see a parallel to the Incarnation itself; Christ, Son of God, intentionally "passes by" our world as Son of Man, the human Jesus, making Himself available to all of us for restoration, our own salvation to our proper places.  It is the Creator who makes available the grace that gives us our rightful place and identity as creations of God.  In this is the full story of the gospel and of Jesus Christ.  Zacchaeus is a stand-in for all of us, reaching toward something we don't quite know, seizing what looks like a good opportunity in earthly or worldly terms, and coming up short -- until we find the One who passes by and teaches us restoration, gives us the grace for salvation, and true direction for proper use of our very lives.  This is the choice for a life of faith and communion, an ongoing discipleship that takes everything we are and everything we have, teaching us honest repentance and our rightful place.  Let us remember that Jesus is passing through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem and the Cross.  He asks us all to follow, each in our own way.  Are you ready to join Him on that journey for you?

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 was 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 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 spit 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.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he was rich.  In yesterday's reading, we read that the events took place as Jesus approached Jericho.  Here Jesus enters and passes through, and we recall that Jericho was notorious in its time as a place of iniquity and was commonly associated with sinful living.  Here is perhaps a highly notorious citizen in this notorious town:  a chief tax collector for the Romans, who is exceedingly rich as well.  Not only would he be considered a terrible sinner, but also a betrayer of his own people as a collaborator with the occupying Romans.  It seems that one really couldn't get much lower than that in terms of what a "notorious sinner" would look like in Christ's time and place. 

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 was going to pass that way.   My study bible tells us that there are multiple spiritual interpretations that give a universal significance to this encounter.  Theophylact sees the crowd symbolizing sins:  "Crowded in by a multitude of passions and worldly affairs, he is not able to see Jesus.  My study bible also cites St. Ambrose as giving several parallels for today's reading:  First, Zacchaeus' being of short stature is indicative of the fact that he's short on faith and virtue.  Second, Zacchaeus has to climb a tree because no one attached to worldly matters can see Jesus.  Finally, that Jesus intended to pass that way shows that Christ will approach anyone willing to repent and believe.  It's almost a parallel to the story of the Gadarene demoniac, in some sense, where Jesus deliberately goes with His disciples "to the other side" (of the Sea of Galilee) in order to find this one man amidst so much trouble, and so many who are not believers. 

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."   It's remarkable that Jesus zeroes in on Zacchaeus; Jesus knows where He is going and what He is doing.  This must be an incredibly startling encounter, and it's done in front of the crowds.  The Pharisees have already openly criticized Jesus for eating with and being in the company of tax collectors and other sinners, and here it's as if Jesus deliberately affirms His mission to all in the sight of everyone on this route to Jerusalem.

Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  My study bible tells us that Zacchaeus uses the term give for his free and generous offering to the poor, and the term restore for what he owes to those he had cheated.  What he restores is not a gift but rather required by the Law (Exodus 22:1).   As Zacchaeus is doing both, says my study bible, he's not only fulfilling the Law but also shows his love for the gospel.

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."  My study bible says that the title son of Abraham indicates that Zacchaeus had become like this patriarch of Israel.  Counted righteous by faith, Zacchaeus became generous toward the poor, and was united to the people of God.  Early records of the Church say that Zacchaeus went on to be a bishop.

In some way, the story of Zacchaeus gives us a picture of the whole gospel of the Kingdom, that Jesus has come to seek and to save that which was lost.  John tells us that for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, not to condemn the world but so that the world might be saved through Him.  Zacchaeus is basically everything to look down upon:  a notorious collaborator, and one who does so to the extent that he's very rich.  His short stature basically adds to the picture of someone "diminished" in the eyes of the people.  It's almost comical that this man has climbed a tree to see Jesus, except that we realize that there's a true desire there, something that drives him to desire deeply to see this Man who passes through Jericho on His way to the Cross in Jerusalem.  The tree Zacchaeus climbs can also be seen as a parallel symbol to the Cross, in which Zacchaeus himself comes to his own cross, and gives up the life he's led and is transformed in repentance so that he will openly return anything he has taken falsely, and give half of what he has to the poor.  That's the work of the cross, that kind of transformation of our lives, and our willingness to give up to God what God calls upon us to do.  It's the work of the Cross of Christ to bring such transformation to the world, healing to those who are sick, salvation to those who were otherwise "lost."   Particularly in this Gospel of Luke, we are taught over and over again this lesson, this meaning to the mission of Jesus in the world.  And that has to be a kind of code for our lives.   On Saturday, we read Jesus' teaching about how wealth can make it so hard to enter the Kingdom, but repeatedly we've also had His words affirmed that "the things which are impossible with men are possible with God."  This is the story of the mission, the whole purpose for all of us:  that whatever's lost in us and in our lives is to be reclaimed by Christ, transfigured, brought into a new place of meaning and relevance -- and what has to be let go is left behind in order to "follow Him" into this Kingdom.  The picture of transformation that we see here isn't so much a story of what we all need to do, but rather a picture of what it is to be really saved:  our lives transfigured, redeemed, made well.  It doesn't matter, in that sense, what particular things we need to do that He will lead us to do; for each of us, that cross will mean different things as all lives are unique.  But, like Zacchaeus, we are called to house Him within ourselves, that He may come in and dwell with us and make us a part of His life.  His presence calls us to a repentance of whatever it is we need to change and however it is we need to change, and that's His mission that keeps calling us home to this place of change, of climbing our own crosses or doing whatever we need to do to "hear" and "see" Him, and to do what we need to do with Him as guest.  Every day, we can think about living this way, and how His love calls us to His presence with us and within us.