Isaiah 1:10-18, Psalm 32, and Luke 19:1-10
How can you become wealthy and stable in Canada today? Is it to become a hockey player? Or to become a Blue Jays player? I looked it up and found out that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a player on the national basketball team, earns $60 million a year. The Blue Jays will pay Vladimir Guerrero Jr. $35 million. Among ice hockey players, Oilers’ Connor McDavid earns $12.5 million. It’s probably the kind of money I’ll never touch in my lifetime. I sometimes worry about whether it would be a blessing to be given this money. For those who don’t know how to manage money, life after winning the lottery isn’t happy. I wasn’t really ready.
Today’s Gospel from Luke tells the story of the chief tax collector of Jesus’ time. His name is Zacchaeus, whom we all know well. At that time, tax collectors were people who could easily get rich by exploiting the law. They gave some of the money to the Roman Empire, and the rest they collected became their own. People in this profession usually get rich easily. Scholars say many tax collectors owned two or three houses. So the Israelites considered tax collectors who worked for the colonial powers to be unjust.
People criticized Zacchaeus, a tax collector whose name, ironically, meant righteous. The more unjust and dishonest a society is, the more difficult it is for honest and sincere workers to advance. When some people work hard to collect extra money from others and give it to their superiors, it becomes easier to get promoted. His life as a chief tax collector, considered a legitimate thief in society at the time, reveals much about him, so his name is likely different from his actual name. He became rich, but was accused of being a sinner. To reach the top, he had to beat many competitors. Did he ever have a true friend? He must have been very conflicted. As his health deteriorated and he grew older, he may have become more concerned about the afterlife.
Jericho, where he worked, was the gateway to Jerusalem. The chief tax collector there was in a perfect position to gather not only money but also various information and rumors. Unlike those who hated him, he would have heard about Jesus healing the sick and meeting with sinners, which were considered unclean by the Jewish law. He believed that Jesus had the power to forgive sinners. At this very time, Jesus Christ stopped in Jericho before going to Jerusalem.
But Zacchaeus was short and had difficulty seeing or meeting Jesus in the crowd. He climbed a sycamore-fig tree. It would have been noticeable that a fully grown adult was climbing the tree. At the same time, he was wealthy, so he wore very nice clothes, and others around him would not have gone to him because he was a sinner. A very short rich man is waiting for Jesus in a tree. Jesus could easily find him.
Before he even invites Jesus, Jesus tells him that he will stay at his house today. Jesus chooses him among countless people and approaches him warmly. Jesus further says that he will stay at Zacchaeus’ house. Jesus’ concern deeply moved him. He thinks, “Everyone calls me a sinner, but Jesus has transformed the homes of sinners into homes of the righteous, like my name. Ah, now I am forgiven. I can dwell where my ancestor Abraham rests.’ Now he can sleep peacefully tonight.
Of course, you’re probably familiar with the challenging part of the rich young ruler’s story in Luke 18. Jesus said it is very difficult for a rich man to enter heaven. The story of Zacchaeus appears in chapter 19. One difference is that Zacchaeus declared that he would share half of his wealth with the poor and live an honest life. This scene was very shocking to the existing Jews. The Jews considered Zacchaeus, who mingled well with the pagans of Rome, a religious and social sinner. They thought that anyone who associated with sinners was unclean. However, Jesus transcended their thoughts and religious laws. He transcends the limitations and shackles set by humans. The Jewish leaders did not act like Jesus. They did not visit the sinner’s house. For them, the law always took precedence over love. But for Jesus, the lost were his top priority. Jesus did his best for their salvation and liberation. It was Jesus’ mission to find them and save them. Dear friends, we too want to emulate the heart of Jesus. We, as disciples, hope to carry out Jesus’ mission in this age. How many lives will be lost in 2025! Let us ponder and pray for a way for them to return to the Lord. Let’s share the teachings of Christ together and transform Red Deer and Alberta.
Let us also become a bridge for those like Zacchaeus to return to the Lord. He resolved to change and confront all circumstances and situations that led him away from God. Let us also pray boldly to the Lord. Let us pray like David, seeking the Lord’s mercy and interceding for God to be a refuge for the lost in times of trouble. Sometimes we too may drift away from the Lord for a moment. And we can turn away from God by committing social or religious sins. It could be me or it could be someone I know. But the important truth is as Isaiah 18 says, “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. These words penetrate Zacchaeus’s faith and hope: God forgives the guilt of my sin, no matter how severe it may be.
David found great joy in trusting in the Lord. Zacchaeus, who approached Jesus with good desires, experienced the joy of salvation. Isaiah warns us to do good, seek justice, and help those in need. All these words are God’s words to us, the stewards. Let us live this week, caring for our families and the world with the heart of Jesus Christ. The Lord will guide you with a strong arm. Amen.