This
text from Luke’s gospel introduces a unique and telling character by the name
of Zacchaeus. Once Luke acknowledges the
fact that Zacchaeus is wealthy, the astute reader is already recalling the
story of the rich ruler in chapter 18.
In the words of Ronald Reagan, “there you go again.” For the second time in as many chapters, we
have a character that is wealthy and Jewish, neither of which qualifies him as
a traditional hero in the gospel of Luke.
For those hearing this story for the first time it would seem as if the
future looks quite bleak for the wee little man from Jericho. And yet the story takes a surprising
twist.
Zacchaeus has come
to see Jesus, for no other reason than sheer curiosity, and somehow ends up
being one of the good guys. In his book,
Luke for Everyone, N.T. Wright
presents Zacchaeus as, “one of (Luke’s) minor heroes.”[1] But why?
Positing Zacchaeus as a hero does nothing to advance Luke’s theme of
bringing salvation to the Gentiles, and one runs the risk of implying a double
standard, as Zacchaeus is celebrated while the rich ruler is condemned. The answer to what qualifies Zacchaeus to
attain the status of minor hero is essential to comprehending another theme
paramount to the gospel itself.
The
obvious answer would be that this story has something to do with money. The rich ruler is asked to give all he has to
the poor and declines, while Zacchaeus gives half of everything he owns. But what about the other half? What about the whole leaving to follow Jesus
part? The text never suggests that
Zacchaeus leaves Jericho after this scene is finished, he retains half of
everything he owns, and yet Jesus assures us that salvation has come upon his
house. To suggest that money is the
focal point of either of these stories simply doesn’t add up, no matter how
radical that might be.
Wait! Jesus came to save sinners right? Perhaps Zacchaeus is awarded salvation
because he’s a sinner. This line of
thinking works until we come to the realization that the rich ruler was not
free of sin himself, and if he were, he would be in no need of salvation. So it is, that both characters are rich, both
characters are Jews, and both characters are obviously sinners. Yet despite all of this Jesus shows favor to
one while condemning the other. Okay,
maybe Calvin was right. Ehh… not so fast. Let us turn to chapter 14 and the parable of
the Great Banquet before jumping to such a bold conclusion.
After
giving a bit of practical advice regarding etiquette at a dinner party, Jesus
exerts, “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be
abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”[2] Now let’s go back to the scene in
Jericho. We have a man who is short in
stature, overwhelmed by the crowds, and has no choice but to climb a tree just
to see what is going on. “He was
surprisingly good at climbing trees for a man who was so unusually short that
he had to take a flying leap just to get into his chair in the morning.”[3]
Now
there is no way a grown man, no matter how short he was, could have managed to
climb up a tree in the midst of such a large crowd without being noticed. In doing so, Zacchaeus affirmed his weakness
in front of a crowd that already despised him.
It would have been difficult for Zacchaeus to find a “lower” seat than
the heights of a sycamore tree. As the
story continues, it is Jesus who approaches Zacchaeus with the opportunity to
welcome Him into his home. And the rich
young ruler? Well he approached Jesus,
essentially presented his qualification for eternal life, and sought
affirmation for his pious reputation. To
this Jesus responds with a little slice of humble pie. Eat it pledge.
The
conversion of Zacchaeus began before Jesus even walked his way. Perhaps it was intentional, perhaps he didn’t
care, but whatever the case, Zacchaeus was willing to humble himself in
exchange for an encounter with Christ.
Only in light of our weakness are we able to experience the greatness of
God. Zacchaeus humbled himself and
accepted Jesus out of humility, while the rich ruler exalted himself in an
effort that ultimately lead him to reject the invitation. The road to eternal life begins with humility, and
salvation is not a reward but a gift.
“This is the race that Jesus ran,
humble to God, haughty to man.”[4]
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