Among the people, Jesus is growing in stature. He is experienced as a man of integrity, honest and caring. When word spreads through Jericho that he “intends to pass through the town,” a particular man in it, Zacchaeus, “seeks to see who Jesus is.” Zacchaeus is a tax collector. Tax collectors are used by Roman rulers to administer their oppressive policies. Zacchaeus is therefore, among the people, a man without stature. He is experienced as a man without integrity; dishonest and uncaring. He is judged a sinner, ostracized. He is treated so by Israel’s rulers. The rulers have their own oppressive policies but are themselves also diminished of stature under Rome’s occupation.
Stature is of considerable importance to the Gospel story, metaphorically and also physically. Zacchaeus is a small man. In order for him to get a look at Jesus he needs to climb a tree. He is noticed by Jesus. More importantly, Zacchaeus, a known sinner, is accepted by Jesus. He is cherished, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house. And he came down quickly and received Jesus with joy.” In his encounter with Jesus Zacchaeus becomes a big man, a man of stature. He becomes a man of integrity, honest and caring, “Behold, half of my possessions, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” Zacchaeus’ joy is contrasted by the disdain of the local rulers all of whom are concerned with stature. They would keep Zacchaeus a small man, “When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.’” These men of stature who live in Jericho fail to discern a truth by which this passerby, Jesus, lives. Love transforms us. No matter how small the act of love, we are changed when we are loved. Jesus knows there is something greater inside Zacchaeus that is more true of his character than the collaborator routinely rejected on the outside. Loving another person can draw out their greatness.
“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” (Etienne de Grellet)
Prayer: Spirit, we give ourselves to the lasting effect of love
Question: How do my concerns as to status impede my willingness to love?
October 30, 2016 Gospel Luke 19:1-10 Thirty-First Sunday In Ordinary Time