Son Of Abraham (part 2 of 2)

Following the telling of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Luke recounts a scene in which there is an issue with people bringing their babies for Jesus to touch them.  Some did not appreciate this, “and began to scold those who brought them” (18:15b).  However, “Jesus called for the children, saying, ‘Let the little children come to Me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.’” (18:16-17) 

Now how could this possibly relate to Zacchaeus?  Because Zacchaeus was said to be short (19:3) should one equate that with being a child?  Of course not.  Rather, one must look at the fact that he wanted to “get a look at Jesus” (19:3a), but because he was short “he could not see over the crowd, So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him” (19:4a).  Quite simply, men did not climb trees.  In an honor and shame culture, climbing trees was not dignified---it was considered to be a shameful activity for a man.  Such things were left to children.  So in climbing the tree, Zacchaeus attempts to come to come close to Jesus by acting like a child.  In addition to that, it is possible to tie in the story of the healing of the blind beggar, who most certainly, like Zacchaeus, wanted nothing more than to get a look at Jesus.  Luke indeed is a skilled constructor of narrative.

Returning again to the eighteenth chapter of Luke, Luke reports that “a certain ruler” came to Jesus and “asked Him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’” (18:18)  Rather than get sidetracked into a dissertation about the point of the question and Jesus’ initial response to it, it is best to skip down a few lines and hear Jesus tell this man to “Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor” (18:22b).  What is it that is heard from Zacchaeus?  “Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor” (19:8b).  Now, that doesn’t sound like he is selling all that he has and giving the money to the poor---it sounds like he is committing to giving half his possessions to the poor.  However, the follow-on statement, which was “and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much” (19:8c), is likely going to require him to dispose of the remaining half of his possessions. 

In chapter eighteen Luke records that “when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.  When Jesus noticed this, he said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’” (18:23-24)  Hard?  Yes.  Impossible?  No.  Jesus says “What is impossible for mere humans is possible for God” (18:27).  To prove that this is the case, Luke offers the story of Zacchaeus giving away all that he had, entering the kingdom of the Creator God as a “son of Abraham.”  By the way, the man that came to Jesus in chapter eighteen was said to be a “ruler.”  Zacchaeus was also something of a “ruler,” being a chief tax collector. 

Lastly, it is with interest to note that rather than simply indicating that Zacchaeus has entered into the kingdom of Israel’s God (acceded to Jesus’ kingdom principles) by his actions, Jesus refers to him as a son of Abraham.  Why make this type of statement?  Well, any mention of Abraham is bound to call to mind the Creator God’s first words to Abraham, in which the man that was then named Abram was told that he was going to exemplify divine blessing.  It would certainly not be a stretch to say that Zacchaeus, by giving in the manner that he proposed, was going to exemplify divine blessing.  In so doing then, he would truly become a son of Abraham. 

That exemplification of divine blessing has been spelled out, to some extent, by Jesus, a bit earlier in Luke’s Gospel, where Jesus can be heard to say “Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God belongs to you.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (6:20b-21).  Certainly Zacchaeus’ actions blessed the poor and brought a measure of satisfaction to the hungry, whereas those whom he had cheated, who had no doubt wept as they slipped further and further into mounting and perhaps insurmountable debt, who perhaps came to find themselves in a position in which they were unable to feed themselves and their families and forced to consider lives of slavery because of that debt, were comforted with a joy that resulted in laughter at the four-fold reparation.    

Son Of Abraham (part 1 of 2)

Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham!” – Luke 19:9  (NET)

Jesus, in a move that was likely to have been viewed as shocking by many of its witnesses, went “to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (19:7b).  That man, of course, was Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was not only one of the hated tax collectors that worked in collusion with the Roman authorities and serving as a constant reminder of Israel’s continued subjection to a foreign power, but he was also tagged with the second epithet of being a “sinner” (someone who did not live up to covenant obligations).  Luke informs his audience that Zacchaeus was, in fact, a “chief tax collector” (19:2), and that commensurate with such a position, he “was rich” (19:2). 

When Jesus encounters Zacchaeus while passing through Jericho, He invited himself to the house of this rich, chief tax collector, saying “I must stay at your house today” (19:5b).  Though it is not explicit in the text, one can certainly find an implication that Jesus was going to be sharing a meal with Zacchaeus, who was going to serve as His host.  Now, this is not the first time that Jesus has made what some would consider to be a questionable choice in dining companions.  The Gospel of Luke, and indeed all of the Gospels, are littered with accusations of Jesus dining with “tax collectors and sinners,” which simply was not perceived to be comely behavior for a man that was somewhat clearly presenting Himself as a messiah figure. 

Beyond that, even when Jesus is not going to dine with those that are perceived to be the wrong people, and dines with the “right” people instead, He still comes in for criticism, be it for allowing a disreputable woman to wash His feet (chapter seven), or for not washing His hands (chapter eleven).  Seemingly, Jesus can’t quite do things properly.  Such is His burden.

Now, no record of Jesus’ interaction with Zacchaeus is provided.  Luke moves from the complaint about Jesus to reporting that “Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!’” (19:8)  Why Zacchaeus does this is left for the audience to determine.  Clearly though, he is quite overwhelmed by Jesus’ presence.  Perhaps he was also a witness to Jesus’ healing of the blind beggar, which was done “As Jesus approached Jericho” (18:35a)? 

To that point, Luke write that “When all the people saw” this healing, “they…gave praise to God” (18:43b).  Obviously “all” does not mean “all,” as it is a use of hyperbole, and one should not presume that Zacchaeus was part of this group that offered praise to the Creator God as a result of the healing of the blind man, but surely, even if he did not personally witness it, the news of this healing would have come to the ears of Zacchaeus, as tax collectors were certainly attuned to the local goings-on.  Whatever the reason, the fact remains that Zacchaeus is reported to have said these things after welcoming Jesus joyfully (19:6b), and presumably after hearing the complaints of the people. 

It is Zaccheus’ expression of financial commitment that prompts Jesus’ statement of “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham!” (19:9)  Though this commitment by Zacchaeus and the resulting words from Jesus were probably surprises to Jesus’ audience, it would not necessarily come as a surprise to those that have been paying attention to Luke’s narrative.  In fact, the story of Zacchaeus represents something of a summary of what has come before and is a vindication of Jesus’ teaching. 

In chapter eighteen, Luke presents a parable from Jesus about “Two men” who “went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector” (18:10).  In this parable, the tax collector “stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’” (18:13)  Without need to recount it here, suffice it to say that the Pharisee’s prayer was somewhat different. 

Jesus explains that “this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee” (18:14).  Interestingly, if one went from the Temple to Jericho, one would be said to have “went down to his home” (to be fair, all are said to “go down” from Jerusalem) which fits nicely with the story of Zacchaeus (but Luke has also told the story of the “Good Samaritan, in which “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” (10:30a), so it is not at all difficult to surmise that Luke wants his audience to think of the tax collector “going down” to Jericho from the Temple).  One also notices that this tax collector referred to himself as a sinner, which is also said of the tax collector Zacchaeus, which offers some additional symmetry to the accounts.  

Salvation For This House (part 2 of 2)

What?  Unbelievable!  The people would have immediately began to wonder about this strange turn of events.  We read that “when they saw it, they all grumbled” (19:7a).  They said, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner” (19:7b).  There we have the reason for the shock and surprise.  There we have the reason for the grumbling.  Zacchaeus was considered to be a sinner.  In the language of the day, that meant that, at the least, Zacchaeus did not meet the requirements to find himself in good covenant standing.  What’s more likely is that Zacchaeus was a Gentile (or, as a sinner, considered to be like a Gentile). 

Regardless of the actual ethnic status, he was not thought to be part of the nation of Israel.  Again, he worked for the hated Roman oppressors, at cross-purposes to Israel.  He was unclean. So much worse then, that the man that they believed might be their Messiah, of all places to which He could have gone in Jericho, was going to go to a house into which not one of them would have lowered himself or herself  to enter, so as not to be defiled.  The question would have likely been raised: “Is Jesus in league with the Romans?” 

Nevertheless, Jesus went into the house of a Gentile (or, as said, one that was considered as a Gentile).  Zacchaeus, unless he was completely oblivious to what was happening around him (which, as tax collector, would have been unlikely), would have understood that the potential Jewish Messiah had come into his house.  The Messiah had come to him.  How does Zacchaeus respond?  Amazingly, he says, “Behold, lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.  And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (19:8).  Zacchaeus responds in repentance.  More importantly, we need to hear Zacchaeus, the Roman official under the government of Caesar (kurios), calling Jesus “Lord” (kurios, or here, “Kurie”).  The accompanying action signifies that this is more than an honorific use of the word.  For him, it becomes titular.  So along with the repentance with the way that he has dealt with the people of Israel, in defrauding them, Zacchaeus responds in the way of faith, calling Jesus Lord, which is the mark of the covenant people going forward.  He also responds with a desire to generously give, which is significant, and should also be a pronounced mark of those who call Jesus Lord.    

How does Jesus respond to Zacchaeus?  He says that “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham” (19:9).  Jesus here enfolds Zacchaeus into the family of Israel, attaching him to Abraham (which seems to indicate Zaccaheus’ Gentile, or Gentile-like standing).  Yes, the Messiah has come to this Gentile, and the allegiance that shows forth from him in word and deed, is what has brought him into the family of Abraham, to enjoy the salvation, blessings, and responsibilities that are reserved for God’s covenant people.  That point is not to be missed, as here we see Zacchaeus justified (brought into the covenant family) by the trusting and action-spurring recognition Jesus was indeed Lord.  By faith, He believed that which is the message of the Gospel of Jesus as Lord of all creation; and the promises implied therein, and this principle of trusting in God’s promises, beginning with Abraham, is the way by which God extends the blessings of His covenant, His salvation, to all people. 

The author of the Zacchaeus story wants it to be obvious that be a person Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, circumcised or uncircumcised, that Jesus was sent into this world to gather up into the family of God and provide salvation to all peoples.  Through believing the message of the Gospel of Christ (which is the power of God for salvation), it can be said to all the families of the earth that “salvation has come to this house” (19:9a); and all peoples are made to be sons of Abraham, by faith in the Gospel. 

Salvation For This House (part 1 of 2)

He entered Jericho and was passing through.  And there was a man named Zacchaeus. – Luke 19:1-2a  (ESV)

The first ten verses of the nineteenth chapter of Luke tell the story of Zacchaeus.  As we go through this story of Zacchaeus, attempting to understand the truths conveyed herein, we must bear in mind to whom this Gospel of Luke has been written.  It has been written to a Roman government official, a believer, presumably a Gentile, named Theophilus.  That is important as it relates to this story.

It is said of Zacchaeus that “He was a chief tax collector and was rich” (19:2b).  In this role, he would have been quite hated by a sizable majority of the people of Israel with whom he came into contact, as he worked to collect taxes on behalf of the oppressive Roman government.  Thus, he served to perpetuate and enforce the rule that the people wished to throw off and bring to an end.  For what it’s worth, he would also have been known as a publican.  

The people of Jericho gathered to see Jesus, the one that they had heard about, and who some had come to believe might very well be the promised Messiah.  Though there were many views of the Messiah, one that was quite prevalent was one in which the Messiah was the individual that had been purposely sent by their Creator God to overthrow those who presumed to rule over God’s chosen people.  Not surprisingly, with the stir that the presence of Jesus created wherever He went, Zacchaeus wanted to see this Jesus as well. 

It is reasonable to presume that he also would have been fully aware of what was implied by messianic claims, especially as it related to his own job and his livelihood.  Normally, though he would have been the object of the scorn of the members of the family of Israel, being the chief tax collector would have afforded him a place of honor (though begrudging) when it came to significant happenings and public events, but in this case the people ignored him, which is understandable because of what was implied by all this talk of Messiah.  Of course, as is generally noted when people talk of Zacchaeus, it did not help that “he was of small stature” (19:3b). 

We all know how the story goes.  Zacchaeus, this chief tax collector for Jericho, “ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He (Jesus) was about to pass that way” (19:4).  Would that not have been an odd sight for the people of Jericho?  Their hated chief tax collector, was climbing a tree so that he could get a glimpse of the Messiah, the One that was about to put him out of a job.  Not only that, but he ran.  Both of these activities were considered to be dishonorable, and a respectable man would not engage in them.  

Putting aside the potential shame of climbing a tree (hints of Jesus’ own ignoring of shame to come when He would effectively “run ahead and climb a tree”?) Zacchaeus had elevated himself so that not only was he going to be able to see Jesus, but also so that Jesus could see him.  It is likely that the people thought that Jesus, upon seeing Zacchaeus in the tree, would have some harsh words for him.  However, something quite surprising happens when Jesus encounters part of Rome’s oppressive cabal.  “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.’  So he hurried and came down and received Him joyfully” (19:5-6).