Did you ignore context, beginning with Luke 19:2
“Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.”
or, as Luke continues at 19:8
“Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.”
which is NO admission that he had defrauded anyone, in fact, it suggests he is a man who is capable of correcting his errors, if he has made them
and the rest of Luke 19, which opened with Zacchaeus?
it’s no homily against trading well.
the meeting with Zacchaeus is about those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zaccheus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Christ invited himself to Zaccheus’ house. Wherever Christ comes he opens the heart, and inclines it to receive him. He that has a mind to know Christ, shall be known of him.
Zacchaeus was hated and despised in Palestine because his job was as tax collector - he took from the people on orders of Herod and the Romans to fill their royal coffers, while the people, so many people in Palestine, went hungry FOR LACK OF WORK. At tax collecting itself providing ample opportunity for corruption - not from being a lender with interest - by taking more than just the tax that was required [like Socialists, Liberals and Progressives do), padding their own pocket [or in the modern case, their own political and business special interests] with the difference [with non-essential programs just to get more people beholden to them].
Meanwhile, the taxes deprived everyone of what they could have given in alms for the poor to the temple - charity being traditionally the role of the churches - and those in charge of the temple were themselves living lavishly as well.
Tax collecting, like Zacchaeus job, was part of the corruption of the elite, much like it is today.
RE: which is NO admission that he had defrauded anyone,
I was not the one who used the word “defraud”, I was simply quoting the English Standard Version. Here it is:
“Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”
The NASB also used the word “defraud”, so does the New Revised Standard Version, so does the RSV Catholic edition.
Here is the NIV translation:
“And if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount”
The Living Translation also used the word “cheated”, so does the Amplified Bible.