Theis Week’s sermon from St Ninian’s Uninting Church, Lyneham, ACT. (Canberra)
Luke 19:1-10
Curious people
One thing that one learns if they serve in one of our emergency services, is that if there is an incident there will be on lookers who will stand and watch the rescue or event unfold sometimes to the very conclusion of the event many hours later. Emergency services personnel here in Australia, with at times irreverent attitudes may refer to the onlookers as “Rubber Necks.” This somewhat impolite term has even been turned into a verb, such as “They are going down to have a rubber neck…” Many of these same Emergency Service personnel will tell of people climbing on the roofs of buildings, fences, and even trees to achieve a vantage viewpoint of what is going on. Today the addition of mobile telephone cameras means that not only do people look, but they also capture the images both still and moving of whatever is happening.
It has often been said that throughout time humankind have been and are very curious creatures. Some strongly attribute human curiosity to the development of technology, science, and achievement. The thirst to know what is going is manifest in our print, electronic and social media. There is curiosity in all of us, and our educators, psychologists and sociologists would suggest that this natural curiosity is a very healthy thing. It is curiosity that encourages us to learning, and through learning to discovery. It is the discovery that hopefully sets us up to the betterment of our lives and those around us.
Zacchaeus model
Today’s reading has a strong element of curiosity within the narrative. The Czech priest, theologian, and sociologist, Tomáš Halík[1], in his book Patience with God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing in Us,[2] deals with matters of atheism to religious faith. As one may expect Halik in writing this book in 2009, has his thinking shaped by his decades of experience of living under an oppressive communist regime, where atheism and state were the ruling spiritual positions. In 2009 Halík was very interested in the people who are curious about faith and Christianity. I recall hearing Halík speak in Sydney sometime in about 2015, he said in a seminar lecture, that as a church we should be encouraged and pleased when the stranger, the atheist, or wayfarer approach to just come and see out of curiosity, for that is what Zacchaeus was, a curious “wayfarer,” who came for a look and met with Jesus.
Luke’s description of Zacchaeus
As one enters the narrative of Zacchaeus meeting Jesus, one may well be benefitted to keep in mind that Jesus by that time was well known in the region. The word had spread that Jesus healed the sick, taught about God, and had some well know encounters with the religious authorities of the day. One also may wish to note some points about the city of Jericho at the time of Jesus.
Jericho was a border city, located just short of 30 km[3] from Jerusalem, therefore a key customs and taxation point for the Roman Empire. Further, to Jericho’s geographical location, Jericho was one of the wealthiest cities in Palestine. The reason for Jericho’s wealth was that this area sometimes referred to as the “fertile crescent” was blessed by the ability to grow much produce. The pleasant surround in the city had many wealthy priestly families in residence, along with the Herodian Place, all served to make Jericho an address of note in those times. Now as we know, maybe with a degree of cynicism, where this is wealth there are taxes to be collected.
Taxes and Roman collection
Enter Zacchaeus. The Lukan text gives us a good number of clues to this character Zacchaeus. The first clue is that Zacchaeus was very wealthy. Therefore, Zacchaeus may have matched or exceeded in wealth his neighbours. The next and key clue is that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector.[4] As has been discussed at length in many other sermons, tax collectors were persona non grata in polite, pious, and mainstream Jewish society. Tax collectors were Roman collaborators. Who would want to be friends with one who works for the oppressive power in one’s homeland? Tax collectors would handle Roman mintage, which had the head of the emperor thereon, thus a graven image. This defiled those who handled such repugnant items as Roman coinage. Tax collectors collected monies for the authorities, however, they were allowed to collect on top of the proscribed taxes an amount for themselves, like a commission. Therefore, the tax collector was seen as a form of parasitic character living off the earnings of his fellow burgers.
The Arch-Tax Collection
Zacchaeus was not just a tax collector, but the chief or arch-tax collector. This would mean that Zacchaeus employed a staff of subordinate tax collectors, who would have collected the tax monies, plus some for themselves, but there was also the surcharge for the arch-tax collector. Zacchaeus was on a rather lucrative post. Little wonder that Luke tells us of his wealth.
More about Zacchaeus…
We are also told that Zacchaeus was of ‘small stature[5].’ Here the Greek text gives us some deeper clues. The word ἡλικίᾳ tells us that Zacchaeus was a fully grown adult. The word μικρὸς tells us that he [Zacchaeus] was the size of child. One may start to comprehend that this man Zacchaeus was physically incapacitated. Zacchaeus may have been bullied and on the outer in common society of his day. However, in the role of chief tax collector Zacchaeus had considerable power. Whilst Zacchaeus may not have had the power to imprison any person, his office gave him considerable power over the residents of Jericho. All it would have taken is for a report, truthful or false, to the authorities and the might of SPQR[6] would have descended upon the unfortunate individual. Physically Zacchaeus may have been of small statue, but he was a man of large power, influence and wealth all granted to him by the authority of Rome.
Another possible aspect of tax collectors was that they were not all corrupt, as the job had it benefits, and an honest person could have derived a living with some honesty. However, we receive the impression for the narrative which Luke records that Zacchaeus was corrupt, and his wealth had come from his considerable corrupt dealings.
There just keep mounting reasons as to why this Zacchaeus character is not a man that one would warm to, nor wish to go to his house for any reason let alone a meal. Note also that Jewish people at that time would not eat with tax collectors, as it was seen as a risk that one may be served food that is not Kosher in accordance with the law.
Jericho real estate in the Time of Jesus
In order to see Jesus Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree. The type of tree that is related more to a fig tree with broad low branches making it easy to climb. The City of Jericho in the Old Testament was a city of tightly packed houses, thus for one to see over a crowd a roof top would have been the preferred method. However, in First century City of Jericho, the houses would have been elegant villas with park like lands with palms and sycamore trees offering green and cooling shade, along with a means for Zacchaeus to gain a view vantage point to see this Jesus about whom everyone would have been speaking.
Meeting with Jesus face to face
Despite the crowd, Jesus walks straight to the tree and Zacchaeus. Curious Zacchaeus, who came for just a look now is face to face with the Saviour. Something happened at that point. The text is silent on if Jesus and Zacchaeus had any conversation about Zacchaeus’ morally turbid business practices and life in general. Yet the text clearly tells us that Zacchaeus was a changed man. Was it the gaze and presence of Jesus that stirred Zacchaeus’ spirit to wish to repent? We do not know, but we do know that an encounter in anyone’s life with Christ is and will be a life changing event. Jesus calls Zacchaeus down from the tree and invites himself [Jesus] to go to dine at Zacchaeus’ house. It is highly irregular for a person to invite themselves to another’s home for a meal in middle eastern culture, but Jesus does just that.
The repentance of Zacchaeus is most noteworthy. The Jewish law, the Torah, proscribes in Exodus 22:1-4 the restitution for a theft. Nevertheless, Zacchaeus goes well beyond the Pharisaic interpretation of the law of a four or fivefold restitution for theft. Zacchaeus wishes to properly clear himself of his wrongdoing and live out his life having found the favour of God.
Jesus said to Zacchaeus:
“Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
The Jewish understanding of salvation was that by birth in the family line of Abraham was the path to salvation. But Jesus now turns this over and showing that true repentance is the pathway to salvation. The keen student of the Bible will know that it is written in Ezekiel 34:6,11[7], that God took over the mission of seeking out the lost sheep, because the leaders of God’s people had failed.[8] Jesus is God acting out this mission.
Curiosity a good lesson
The one curious man, Zacchaeus, and the great change. As Thomas Halík encourages us to give space to those who come out of curiosity for a look, let them look, for we do not know what is happening in their lives, what is happening in our lives and where that may lead. Many have heard about the little stone church known locally as St Ninians, many have, and will come for a look. Where that curious look may lead only God knows.
© CMV 2022
All Scripture References unless otherwise noted are from the NIV Bible, ® Zondervan
Greek text is courtesy of www.biblehub.com
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomáš_Hal%C3%ADk
[2] Doubleday, New York–London-Toronto-Sydney-Auckland, 2009, ISBN: 9780385524490
[3] 27.3km or 17 miles
[4] ἀρχιτελώνης (architelones)
[5] ἡλικίᾳ μικρὸς (helikia mikros)
[6] “Senatus Populus Que Romanus”, which means the Senate and the People of Rome.
[7] You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. Ezekiel 34:6,11
[8] Cf Wisdom of Solomon 6:16
Padrecharles's Blog 