THE STORY OF ZACCHAEUS, THE CHIEF TAX COLLECTOR
(Biblical reflection on the 31st Ordinary Sunday [Year C] – 3 November 2019)
Gospel Reading: Luke 19:1-10
First Reading: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Psalms: Psalm 145:1-2,8-11,13-14; Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
Scripture Text:
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man name Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And He sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to Him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore if fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10 RSV)
Believing God was their king, the Jewish people thought their tax money should pay for the upkeep of God’s house, the Temple. Unfortunately, the Roman emperor did not agree with them and used Jewish tax money for building projects throughout the Roman empire. These projects included not only roads and acqueducts in distant lands but also pagan temples to Roman gods; therefore, most pious Jews were greatly upset over how the emperor was using their money.
To make matters worse, the emperor also claimed to be a god. This made paying taxes even more objectionable for most Jews because to do so willingly was just like worshipping a false god, a clear violation of the first commandment.
Oftentimes, Roman officials awarded contracts to foreigners who bid the highest for the privilege of collecting taxes in certain regions. The foreigners then hired local men to do the actual collecting. The Jews called these tax collectors “publicans” and considered any Jew who became a publican the worst kind of sinner because he was helping the emperor steal from God. Other Jews would have nothing to do with such a traitor.
Since a publican had to pay any taxes not collected, he often collected more than he was supposed to, anticipating that some people in his territory would not pay him. The publican either pocketed anything left over after meeting his quota or used the excess to bribe his bosses into giving him a more lucrative territory in which to collect. Thus Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in today’s Gospel, may have bribed his way to his position and then accepted bribes from the publicans who worked from him.
Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus is interesting. According to Jewish law, anyone who steals from someone else and then voluntarily admits it and offers to pay restitution, must pay back what he stole plus twenty percent. The penalty was more if the person did not admit it but was found guilty (Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:7). By offering to pay back fourfold and promising to give half of what he owns to the poor, Zacchaeus goes beyond what the law expects of him and shows how sincere he really is.
Not only does Jesus say He will dine with Zacchaeus but He also calls him a son of Abraham, a fancy way of identifying him as a faithful Jew. Jesus was willing to forget about Zacchaeus’ past and wipe his slate clean, giving Zacchaeus a chance of a new beginning.
For Reflection: Do you forgive and forget as Jesus did or do you have the memory of an elephant? Ask Jesus to teach you to forgive as He forgave Zacchaeus so you can give someone a chance to start anew.
(Adapted from Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels – Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 330-331.)
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for the great gift of salvation You have given me. May I never take this gift for granted. May I never become complacent in my love for you or in my service for other people. Today I want to make a return to You, dear Lord, for all that You have done for me. Amen.