The Collect:
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Gospel
Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste come down, for I must stay at your house today.” And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner..” And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold. ”And Jesus said unto him, To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
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The calling of Zacchaeus is similar to the calling of Levi in Luke chapter 5 and the second chapter of Mark in that:
- Zacchaeus and Levi are both Tax Collectors
- Jesus has dinner with both of them
- The Pharisees are critical of Jesus for associating with Levi and the crowd complained about him going to Zacchaeus’ house.
- Levis leaves everything behind and follows Christ while Zacchaeus offers to give up half of his belongings and make restitution if he has over charged anyone.
Another similarity are the words Jesus used in response to the crowd during the calling of Levi, when he said; “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call– not the righteous– but sinners to repentance.”
With Zacchaeus, Jesus said; “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
The stories of Levi and Zacchaeus are both important as the stories fall into the same category of divine purpose as the story of the Blind Man in John chapter 9.
Saint John the Apostle wrote that Jesus encountered a man who was blind from birth. The disciples assumed that the man had been born blind because of a sinful deed and asked Jesus if the man had sinned or had his parents. Jesus replied;
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.”
So just as the blind man was placed by God at a certain place and time to reveal to the world Jesus’ authority—a divine purpose—Levi and Zacchaeus, both considered to be sinners, were called upon to demonstrate the faith that even despised men such as Levi and Zacchaeus had in Jesus as being the Son of God, while the Pharisees refused to accept Jesus.
Like Levi, Zachaeus was someone rejected by society, a despised outlier due to the bad reputation of Tax Collectors. These were the men who were contracted to collect the taxes levied by the hated Romans and who added a commission on top of the fees they took in, many believed that the tax collectors charged too much money for their own pockets. By over charging the Jews thought the tax collectors were guilty of stealing which of course was a sin.
Luke demonstrates how even the lowest, seemingly insignificant people in their culture, could see Jesus was the Son of God while their religious leaders, the Pharisees were oblivious.
Luke begins with the accounts of parents bringing their children to see Jesus in Chapter 18, as well as the account of the rich ruler who was sorrowful when Jesus told him he had to give away all his possessions.
Jesus used this man to teach a valuable lesson when he said: “How hardly shall they that have riches– enter into the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” The crowd then asked Jesus, “Then who can be saved?”
Jesus replied “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Demonstrating the power of God’s grace, as it is difficult for the wealthy to give up their possessions. The rich ruler found it difficult to give up his wealth but in contrast Zachaeus was also a rich man but did find salvation.
Finally in Chapter 19 verses 35 to 43 Luke tells of a blind beggar who cries out for healing when he hears that Jesus is passing by. Beggars were looked down upon in those days just as people at the traffic light with a sign asking for money are looked down on today. Luke uses the example of a beggar having enough faith in Jesus being the Son of God that the beggar screams out, even though his friends rebuke him for bothering Jesus; likewise Zachaeus exposed himself to ridicule from his neighbors by climbing a tree just to see Jesus.
So this is the context in which we begin today’s lesson, Luke is once again illustrating how by divine purpose; even the most insignificant of the people can grasp the concept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that Jesus has a plan for salvation.
In verse 1 Luke writes; “He entered Jericho and was passing through.”
The trip between Jerusalem and Jericho would have been about 18 miles, Luke mentions the location of this event to show that Jesus was nearing Jerusalem and his appointment with the Cross.
Luke then sets the scene telling us; “And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.” Here we see a man who was rich and powerful even though he was short in stature, so much so, he could not see Jesus passing by because of the crowd, therefore he climbed up into a tree.
“And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste come down, for I must stay at your house today”” Here Luke illustrates a divine purpose—just as in the case of the blind man in John Chapter Nine—Jesus had come to Jericho for the purpose of saving Zacchaeus.
Jesus expresses this divine purpose as he tells Zacchaeus to hurry and conveying a sense of urgency when he tells him “I must stay at your house today.”
In verse six Luke tells us, “And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.” Zacchaeus is overjoyed and surprised that the Son of God would honor him—a detested tax collector—with his presence by visiting his home. The Tax Collector has heard that Jesus is an important man and his presence brings honor to the homes in which he stays, and apparently Zacchaeus can’t belief his good fortune.
Luke again illustrates the contempt that the people have for tax collectors such as Zacchaeus when he writes; “And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner.”
Luke then writes of the sinners response: “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold. “
Even though he asked the rich ruler to give up all his possessions, Jesus only asks Zacchaeus for his hospitality. However Zacchaeus volunteers to give up half of his wealth and to make amends—four fold—if he has charged more than he was allowed to charge by law. Hebrew or Torah law at the time only required restitution plus one fifth of the value in a case of theft. Scholars believe that Zacchaeus was not being boastful or attempting to obtain Jesus’ approval by offering more restitution than was required by tradition; but rather Zacchaeus was trying to demonstrate his personal gratitude that the Son of God would honor him with his presence.
In chapter 3 verse 8, Luke reminds us of the words of John the Baptist who in the process of paving the way for Christ’s ministry, warned the people against depending on the merits of Abraham for salvation, Many believed that the work of the Patriarch was sufficient for any Jew’s salvation and that it was impossible for any descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to go to hell. Instead of relying on Abraham John said, “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance,…”
With Zaccahaeus we assume he had shown these fruits John spoke of when Christ made this statement;
“To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.””
Perhaps we each need to ask ourselves, if our own spiritual gardens are producing fruits worthy of repentance just as in the story of The Calling of Zacchaeus.
The Bible texts of the Gospel lessons are from the American Standard Version, Published in 1901, Public Domain.
The Collects, are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979. as found on lectionarypage.net
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