Posted on 07/07/2023 9:50:53 AM PDT by Morgana
A Virginia pastor tries to turn the story of Zacchaeus into support for ethnic prejudice in college admissions (i.e. affirmative action). Dwight Riddick, Sr., of Gethsemane Baptist Church says the wealthy tax collector was “oppressed” and a “second-class citizen” because of his height. “Jesus saw Zacchaeus and he levels of the playing field. Jesus institutes an affirmative action program.”
This past week, the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action was unconstitutional in permitting colleges and universities to take into consideration race when it comes to their admissions standards. This was and is a major blow in America, a country that is already struggling and who has been working hard to achieve racial equality. And now, the hands of the clock have been more than turned back, it almost feels as though the hands up the clock has been torn off.
…In our story today, we find a familiar character, we’ve called him Zacchaeus….Zacchaeus was a man who was hated. He was a man who, in every sense of the word was at a place of disadvantage. He faced life with doors constantly being closed in his face….(he) suffered and experienced oppression. Not because of anything, but he’s made in a contribution to, he was just born this way.
He didn’t have anything at all to do with his physical stature. He was just born this way and only grew to a certain stature and now because of his physical appearance, he’s being oppressed, he’s been pushed to the side, he’s been marginalized. He’s been discriminated against. Here he is, a short man in a tall world. He is the minority among apparently everybody else on the street that day.
He continues:
..And I know you’re gonna tell me that He was despised because he was a tax collector, he had treated other people wrong, he had overcharged them the taxes due. But I argue today, never mind the fact that he’s rich and a tax collector, he’s still a person who has been the target of hate. And no one likes to be hated. I don’t care who you are, you don’t want people hating on you. Nobody likes to be pushed aside. No one likes to be denied access, have doors closed in their face, and feel as though they’re always hitting the glass ceiling.
And here is Zacchaeus. A short man in a tall world. When Zacchaeus could not get a space in front of others for he could see Jesus, he is forced to settle for a secondary substandard viewing position…this tree was not the best seat in the house. It was not on equal footing with the rest. It was where short people had to go if they were to see the guests passing by.
…Jesus knew that Zacchaeus being in that tree was an indication that Zacchaeus had been put in a place where he’s being made to feel as though he’s a second class citizen. People who are well thought of and treated equal do not meet Jesus in trees. People who are well thought of and treated as equals, do not meet Jesus in trees. They meet him on ground level.
And then concludes:
Jesus saw Zacchaeus and he levels the playing field. Jesus institutes an affirmative action program. The Bible says Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house. Notice that Zacchaeus was the only one who had to climb the tree and he had to climb the tree to see Jesus because he was short and nobody would open the door and give him access to where Jesus was.
But when Jesus comes by, Jesus said ‘man come on down.’ He said, ‘I tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to your house today.’ There were a whole lot of people in Jericho on that day, a whole lot of people who wanted to see Jesus but Jesus chose one to spend time with. Jesus only went to Zacchaeus his house.
When everybody else has shut the door on Zacchaeus, God who opened the door. Others hated Zacchaeus, denied him the opportunity of access, but then Jesus comes along and gives him favor. Somebody thank God for favor.
h/t to WokePreacherTv for the title, intro and vid.
Oh no! I did such a huge eye roll reading this that my eyeballs are stuck up in my head!
Jesus offers salvation to all. He doesn’t offer favor to any group over another.
This pastor is a dummy for trying to make that connection.
Now you know how the 16th century Catholics felt about the Reformers.
Good grief!.............................
Zaccheaus was a wee little man
and a wee little man was he
He climbed way up in the Sycamore tree
Jesus for to see.
Yah, Divinity School Dropout!
And then he repented, as we all should.
No. Next story please ...
Just wait for the next story...it’s worse.
No.
Zacchaeus was the oppressor. Because he worked for the (non-elected) government collecting taxes and a bit on the side for himself.
He could set the local troops on people who did not show him enough "respect".
Do these people even read the Bible?
Yes. And then they put their own spin on it.
A whole lot of people do that, including a lot of people who think they don't ...
He was just an early believer in reparations
I believe the message in Zaccheus’ story is that he made an effort.
The story of Zacchaeus is a story of heartfelt repentance and restitution for ill-gotten gains. Even the Gospel they strain through the lens of liberal political ideology and Big Government activism.
I doubt it.
Exactly as learned by any young child in a proper Sunday school lesson. It seems the preacher lost the plain message while trying to be oh-so-modern.
This is called eisegesis. It is where you start with your own agenda driven idea and try to shoehorn it into a Bible story - ignoring the true context and meaning.
Even someone who doesn’t recognize the larger context of the gospel - you can see the immediate context: A hated tax-collecting thief has a profound conversion into a repentant believer. Zacchaeus was a true seeker.
Luke 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
“Obviously” a thief, so goes the consensus. Thief, chief, whatever they all look alike. /s
How many crimes is the rich man President Trump guilty of “by false accusation”? Who even has the time to count that high. The Dark Side has obsessed over his taxes since day one.
I like Zacchaeus. While everyone was jockeying for position on the ground just like everyone else, disadvantaged Zacchaeus made up for it in ingenuity, climbing up a tree to get the view from above.
Little man, big view.
Luke 19:5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Finally, an overcomer who stands out from the crowd. Rare bird.
twitcher:
INFORMAL•BRITISH
a birdwatcher whose main aim is to collect sightings of rare birds.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Saving Zacchaeus’ lost reputation is a fine place to start.
Son of Abraham = full of chesed.
Sadly, this pastor misses the point of the story and in fact reinforces just the opposite: a mumbo, jumbo of religion. I find it interesting the story of Zaccheus is juxtaposed to the story of the rich young ruler. Both are stories of faith. Zach had it and the rich young ruler didn’t. The beauty of Christianity is one is always a decisive act away from being in the center of your Creator’s delight and fullness of life. The first one is accepting His Son as Truth.
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