Zacchaeus: a life turned around
Ordinary Sunday 31: 4th November, 2007
Fr John Davis, Vicar of St Peter's, Eastern Hill
'So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way'. (Lk 19:4)
Luke's gospel has some wonderful visual images in it — I am immediately thinking of the father in the parable of the Prodigal Son running to great his long-lost son as he returns to the family home — but this one is fairly striking. The chief tax officer in a large and important trading town, a major part of the structure of the Roman occupation and by definition corrupt and hated who happens to be quite short, running and pushing his way through a boisterous crowd to climb a plane tree like a 12 year old schoolboy. As they say, "I'd like to see that". He wants to see Jesus as he going by. But there is something at work here that is greater than sightseeing. The risk of ridicule or even violence is obvious.
So two Sunday gospels in a row we have had put before us tax collectors suddenly opening their hearts up to God. Last week we had the contrast between the Pharisee and the tax collector each praying in the temple, one seeing only his great attributes, the other his great needs and shortcomings. We were reminded last week that it was the self evident sinner who went home set right with God and not the other.
Now in this story we suddenly find the respectable equivalents of that Pharisee amongst the citizenry of Jericho, appalled that Jesus takes the opportunity to ask this official in such a ridiculous situation to give him hospitality overnight. 'Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today'. (Lk 19:5b) You cannot help but feel that there would have been a gentle smile on the Lord's face as this astonishing possibility presented itself. The consternation of those around who could not believe that such a significant spiritual leader could make such a social and spiritual error as to be a guest of someone who was a sinner would have been matched, we can imagine, by the consternation of Zaccheaus' domestic servants. And Jesus would not have been travelling alone. So grumbling and murmuring and excitement all round.
But that is not the half of it. This story is about forgiveness and new life and making amends. Placed into a direct context of relationship with Jesus — in this case actually standing there in front of him and talking and speaking with him and maybe even being touched by him. In stories of personal conversion in every time and place through the centuries, we have the same context of a real sense of relationship with Jesus.
This Zacchaeus story is a narrative of a life turned around. His particular issue was no doubt the accumulated and very likely ill-gotten material wealth. So then: half immediately to those in need and a four fold compensation for those he had defrauded. This was not to buy forgiveness, it was as a result of forgiveness. This was an overflowing sense of joyful thankfulness — perhaps a little like in those who were accused of being drunk at nine in the morning in Acts 2. It seems to be true that people who are onlookers at things spiritual rather than participants, sometimes get things a bit wrong. But a decisive, exuberant response from Zacchaeus it was, no doubt having many of his acquaintances convinced that he had gone off his head. In reality it was just the outward and visible sign of his inward change of heart. God had been suddenly and obviously so good to him, making it also at once clear how out of balance his life had been. Therefore all this followed.
So the Lord does not just tell parables about a welcoming and encouraging forgiveness such as that of the Prodigal Son — he is here in the Zacchaeus story living it out himself. Jesus himself is here the father seeking out the lost son and bringing him spiritually home. 'Today salvation has come to this house.' (Lk 19:9) A true descendant of Abraham in spirit as well as by descent, is indeed entitled to the inheritance. Everything is now once again possible.
Once again in terms of application, we are invited to consider where we ourselves might be placed in this story. Amongst the grumblers? Amongst the perfect? Amongst those whose lives have never been filled with new life? Amongst those lost who have never been found? Amongst those who acknowledge their need and their failings? Amongst those who eagerly jump at the chance to start over again? We can see that there are many possibilities.
The community of faith is the context where we are together called as people who were all in some way lost and now found and were as Amazing Grace so simply adds, were blind but now we see. So our communities of faith need themselves to be places of welcoming and encouraging forgiveness — not always the easiest of tasks we have to acknowledge — but the goal nonetheless. Insofar as we are, day-by-day we will be adding to our number.
And now for some very good parish news. On the afternoon of All Saints' Day, Philip Bewley of this parish received a call from the Archbishop's office to inform him that he would indeed be ordained deacon at the diocesan ordinations next February 2nd. His appointment placement has yet to be decided but it is to be in this diocese. He has asked us to put that date in our diaries and he warmly thanks the parish for all its support through his four years of formation. Philip will be back with us in December having served a placement in the parish of Maryborough in Bendigo diocese. We give thanks and we congratulate him.
We ourselves will be having a training curate here at the particular request of the diocese, also from the beginning of February. I do hope to be able to announce those details in full next week but as yet I have still not received the paper work from the diocese.
There is some further good news. We have also been told that Alex Ross of this parish has been accepted into the 'year of discernment' process which is the first step towards ordination in the diocesan process. We will be certainly finding a place in the ministry team for Alex next year as a sort of preliminary placement prior to him beginning his theological studies at Trinity. It would be wonderful indeed if every year this parish could offer and have accepted at least one potential vocation to holy orders.
This is just one important aspect of our new parish vision statement that we are seeking to implement. The discernment, nurturing and support of vocation — as Christians generally and to the ordained ministry in particular — is right at the top. That statement includes the following:
As Christians we are called to love God and our neighbour. In the next three years we commit to—
Serving the wider Church as a place of ministry training and Christian formation;
One of the big problems emerging in the life of the diocese is that despite the large numbers of those who are being ordained in recent years, they are still not sufficient for the needs. And for various reasons too the number of vocations from the catholic tradition has been nowhere near sufficient. Philip and Alex's good news is also good news for us all. May there be many more. Please consider!
And in the meantime, take care next time you suddenly climb up a plane tree. Your whole life could be turned around.
The Lord be with you.
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