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Luke 19:1-10 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 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.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:1-10 – The Message

19 1-4 Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.

5-7 When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”

8 Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”

9-10 Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”

“Drawn” by Steven Garnaas-Holmes

No one comes to Christ 

inspired by the carnival barkers of evangelism, 

or scared sinless by the fear of hell, 

or set free by peer pressure, even most sweet and kind. 

They come because they are drawn: 

because there is Christ, before them, 

beckoning, irresistible. 

We can’t drive them to Jesus like a sheepdog, 

or argue them close; but we can give them Christ, 

give them love and forgiveness and encouragement. 

There are ways–what are they? Look for them–

you can put in people’s lives what they’re hungry for, 

as inviting as the smell of baking bread. 

Bake the bread of love and offer it. 

Open the door, 

and let the aroma of grace work its magic.

Imagine a dance floor. The disco ball is splashing light all around. The music is blaring. Hundreds of bodies are moving to the beat. Then slowly, inexplicably, random people are sitting down on the dance floor. They are still swaying to the music, dwarfed by other dancers. What is happening? Is it a sit-in, a protest of some sort? You don’t know, but you decide to get a better view, so you go up one level. And then the scene starts to make more sense. 

---

I wonder how the author of the Book of Luke wants us to view Zacchaeus. We are told that he is a chief tax collector and that he is a rich man. Zacchaeus was in the employ of the oppressive Roman government, making his money at the expense of his own Jewish community. He is despised by his community members for colluding with the Romans and for profiting at the expense of his own people. Should we hate him? Should we want to emulate him? Should we pity him? I wonder…

Zacchaeus likely had the surprise of his life when Jesus spoke to him that day, saying, “… hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 

Zacchaeus was not the only one surprised that day. The others lining the road to see Jesus grumbled that he was going to be the guest of Zacchaeus. One that they had cast out and away was receiving the saving grace of Jesus that day. How much of their outrage was jealousy? Why hadn’t they climbed a tree to get Jesus’ attention? It wasn’t fair that they had the better vantage points to see and be seen by Jesus, they were right there in front of him, could have reached out and touched him, yet he bypassed them and gravitated toward Zacchaeus. 

Zacchaeus was ready to receive this grace. They were not.

Theological commentaries point out how strongly religiously enforced caste systems dictated who ate with whom. Jesus inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ home was scandalous. 

What should be even more shocking to us today, is that these systems have not really changed. Not the political systems and not the religious systems. We still mostly eat with those in our same social class. We do not invite the unhoused in for a meal. We do not invite community members of differing social or economic standing into our elite clubs or homes, or invite ourselves to theirs. 

The individuals that were in Jericho to be near Jesus, to learn from Jesus, that were curious about Jesus … now had some choices to make. Do they turn their anger toward Jesus for breaking the caste code? Do they shun him along with Zacchaeus? Or do they re-think their assumptions and attitudes and question their own motives and actions? 

If Jesus, whom they respect and admire for his unorthodox religious teaching treats Zacchaeus with inherent worth and dignity – maybe they should too?

If we had it to do for ourselves, what would we do? Would we invite the social pariah into our home, our invite ourselves to theirs, or would we, as was the expectation of the crowd, shun or condemn them? We say that all are welcome. Where are they welcome? Do our actions match our words? The most visible expression of this acceptance are  within AA, NA, AlAnon type helping groups. 

Jesus could change more minds and hearts by this one subversive act of dining with “a sinner” than dining with dozens of religious or political leaders. How? [Hold up a mirror.] Only if we have eyes to see. Only if we are curious enough, humble enough, to change our vantage point, our point of view. 

It is so very easy to judge others. It is so easy to think we know their circumstances. Some translators of this passage place Zacchaeus’ words in the present tense. 

The NRSV translation is, “8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 

But other translations, including Eugene Peterson’s, The Message, state, “Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?” 8 Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.” 

My freshman year of high school I had a big assignment due in one of my classes. We had three or four weeks to work on it. I did my research and was so excited about the topic that I had my paper typed up and completed an entire week early. I left it in my class folder, ready to turn in on the Monday it was due. The Friday before the assignment was due I was fine that day at school, but left my after school job early that Friday night because I was suddenly very ill. I was so sick that I spent the entire weekend in bed. I thought how fortunate I was that my assignment was complete. Monday I was still sick and could not go to school. Then as quickly as I became sick I felt better. On Tuesday when I arrived at class and turned my homework into my teacher she accepted my day late explanation with grace. But from somewhere in that classroom I heard a derisive comment. A sarcastic, “Sure, you were sick.” And an accusation: “You stayed home yesterday to finish your assignment.” I stood there stunned. Falsely accused. Speechless. 

Why did I remember that story this week? Consider this: Zacchaeus too, may be stunned by false accusations. He is left to stammer a defense. He is shunned by his religious community not because he cheats his friends and neighbors. He is despised because they think he is cheating them. Because they do not like his profession. But Jesus sees Zacchaeus for who he really is. Jesus sees through to Zacchaeus’ heart, and to our hearts. Zacchaeus is lost not because his heart is evil but because he is wrongly excluded from community. 

Who is “the sinner” in that scenario? [Hold up mirror.] Let us all examine our own hearts. Let us all look ourselves in the mirror. 

How would our world be different if we always sought out the big picture, the whole picture, the birds eye view? How would the world be different if we really did love our neighbors as ourselves? 

The person in our opening scene on the dance floor, curious enough to find a higher vantage point, saw what they could not see while they were locked in shoulder to shoulder with the other dancers. From the higher vantage point the scene immediately made sense. A dancer in a wheelchair had come onto the floor. Some, in solidarity, had chosen to sit and dance with them. 

Jesus chose to treat Zacchaeus with respect. He chose to single him out in front of a crowd of religious seekers, hoping to open their minds and their hearts to the concept of grace. And to the reality of unjust systems that we are blindly, or not so blindly, perpetuating.  

I wonder why Zacchaeus desired to see Jesus so much so that he humbled, even humiliated himself by climbing into a tree for a better look? A grown man. A rich man. It just was not done. 

I wonder what keeps us from doing the same thing? Not literally climbing into a tree but being curious enough about our circumstances – our family – our community – our political system – our religion – to change our vantage point, our viewpoint, so that we may be able to see it all from another perspective. 

And be seen by Jesus, and called down out of the tree, and told that salvation must come to our house today. 

Are we willing to try? What do we have to lose? Our pride. Our biases.

What do we have to gain? A just world for all. 

What are we waiting for? Let’s get started. Together we will make the beloved community a reality for one and all. 

Amen Rev. TJ Mack – September 1, 2024