Hi everyone. Welcome back to the logical
Bible study podcast, our goal here is to produce a podcast
that you can listen to before or after daily mass.
That helps you understand the daily gospel readings.
So we're doing a verse by verse exegesis of the literal sense of
scripture. What does it mean in its
original? Text today, if you go to mass,
you would hear from Luke chapter, 19 verses 1 to 10 and
it's the famous story of Zacchaeus.
So let's see if we can learn some new things from the
Zacchaeus story. Here's the text Jesus entered
Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name
was Zacchaeus, made his appearance, he was one of the
senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.
He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was but He was too
short and could not see him for the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse
of Jesus, who has surpassed that way when Jesus reached the spot,
he looked up and spoke to him, Zacchaeus come down.
How are you? Because I must stay at your
house today. Any hurry down and welcomed him.
Joyfully they all complained. When they saw what was
happening, he has gone to stay at a sinner's house, they said,
but Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord look sir, I
am going to give half my property to the poor and if I
have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount
And Jesus said to him today, salvation has come to this house
because this man, too is a son of Abraham for the son of man
has come to seek out and save what was lost.
So, what's the context here at this point, in his ministry,
Jesus is moving From Galilee to Jerusalem.
He's getting ready for the final week of his life.
And as he moves towards Jerusalem, he stops and does
Ministry along the way. He's getting very close to
Jerusalem. Now, he's been joining there for
a long time in Luke, and we're getting very close to his
arrival in Jerusalem. This particular scene, we have
only appears in Luke, the Zacchaeus story, as famous as it
is, is actually only in Luke's gospel.
So verse 1, Jesus entered Jericho.
So let's talk about the city of Jericho.
This is 17 miles Northeast of Jerusalem.
If you look at a map, you can see where this is and it was a
major city at the time and it's still there today.
Actually still quite near Jerusalem.
So it says his Jesus is going through the town.
What it literally says there is his passing through.
So that indicates Jesus probably meant not to stay too long in
Jericho. He wanted to keep going towards
Jerusalem. It's too when a man whose name
was Zacchaeus made his appearance.
So we have here, a man called Zacchaeus, he was one of the
senior tax collectors and a wealthy man.
The Greek, there says a chief tax collector, so as you
probably know the tax collectors were Jews, who were employed by
the Romans, whose job was to collect tax from the Jews.
The Jews hated the Romans, and they really hated Tax Collectors
more. So, a Jew hated Tax Collectors,
because they work for the Romans and they All people with money
and they were just considered to be notorious Sinners.
Basically, they will consider to be a serious traitor because
it's a Jew. Who's decided to work for?
For the Romans? Now, this particular man is a
chief tax collector so that probably means he's the head of
an entire taxing district and he's in charge of other Jewish
Tax Collectors. Now, in particular, if you look
at a map here, this chief tax collector would be in charge of
an area where there's a lot of Transport.
There's a main road that runs past Jericho.
And it's also on the border of perea and Judea Judea is a
Roman, controlled province, perea is not.
So there's Jericho and the road that runs past Jericho is a
place of where there's a lot of trade and a lot of interesting
commercial transactions happening.
This man, Zacchaeus is the chief tax collector for that area so
he's probably overseeing the collection of tolls and duties
on transported Goods in this area.
He's probably very rich. Given the placement of this
particular Town verse 3. He was so anxious to see what
kind of man, Jesus was. So this is a man who's genuinely
curious about Jesus. He's heard some things and now
he wants to see for himself, but he was too short and could not
see him for the crowd. So, it's an interesting aspect
of this, isn't it? This is a short man, and he
can't see Jesus because there's too many people in the crowd.
So he's got a predicament, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore
tree. Hurry to catch a glimpse of
Jesus, who wants to pass that way.
So he climbs the tree here to see Jesus there might be a link.
You remember the previous story about blind Bartimaeus on the
road? Blind Bartimaeus, also had
trouble with the crowd. Here is the key assess trouble
with a crowd. So Zacchaeus climbed the tree
that shows, he's not afraid to make a fool of himself.
He's probably got quite a humble disposition.
Remember early in Lucca? Jesus has told the parable of
the tax collector and the A Pharisee in that, Parable, the
tax collector ends up being the humble one may be here.
We're supposed to see Zacchaeus as an example of a humble Tax
Collector. Someone who's not afraid to make
a fool of himself in order to see Jesus.
So, he climbs a sycamore tree. The fact that the type of tree
is mentioned and is known that probably indicates this
information was gotten from an eyewitness and a lot of Scholars
or some Scholars have suggested that the eyewitness might be
Zacchaeus himself. Maybe Luke.
Interviewed sicarius, and the key is gave him this
information. The sycamore tree has low
branches, so it would be ideal to climb.
And if you go to Jericho today, there is a big sycamore tree in
the middle of the town, which commemorates this incident.
It's not the same tree, but it's their symbolically.
To remember what did happen with a real sycamore tree in there.
Real town. Verse 5, when Jesus reached the
spot, he looked up. Notice this is a key is doesn't
call out or anything. Jesus is just walking along and
then he reaches the spot where the key is is, and he looks up.
So apparently Jesus just knows that's the case is there.
And also he knows what the case is name is because what does he
say? He looks up and says, Zacchaeus
come down, hurry because I must stay at your house today.
So in that culture to dine with someone to stay at their house,
meant friendship and acceptance. Zacchaeus was probably going to
be surprised by that. He's a tax collector.
He doesn't expect this amazing Jewish rabbi to want to come to
his house. He knows that Jews.
Consider him to be a sinner. So he surprised because Jesus
has said, come down, I must stay at your house today.
Notice the word must I must stay at your house today.
It's part of the Divine imperative.
It's part of Jesus divine. Mission.
He must stay there. That's God's plan for him.
Verse 6 is a key is hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
So Zach, Jesus enters the cases, house is probably quite a nice
house because he's a wealthy tax collector.
Now, the word that's used here for hurried or haste.
It's the same word that's used in.
Genesis 18 verse 6, when Abraham responds to his visitors
remember in Genesis, when Abraham has these mysterious
visitors, the three visitors and he quickly has to get some food
together. It's the same word here that's
used this idea of welcoming a Divine guests and there might be
a link there. Some Scholars really think that
this particular incident because Abraham is about to be mentioned
specifically. This particular incident, Luke
may have included as some sort of reminder of the role of
Abraham verse 7. They all complained.
When they saw what was happening, he has gone to stay
at a sinner's house. They said so this would have
been a scandal to the Jews who are watching this take place.
Tax Collectors were considered to be notorious Sinners for
Jesus. A great Rabbi to stay at the
house of a tax collector that's scandalous.
They think that should not happen as part of God's plan.
So the Jewish people here and probably the Pharisees in
particular there grumbling like the generation in the wilderness
in the Old Testament, they grumbled against God.
It's a similar kind of thing here, they complain by this
point in Luca, his readers should be prepared for this
scene though, as surprising as it was.
Jesus for the original audience here in Jericho for Luke's
readers. They probably weren't
particularly surprised because by now, Jesus has already told
the parable of the tax collector and The Sinner in chapter 18.
And in that Parable, the tax collector is depicted.
As a righteous person, the Jews believe that the Messiah would
come basically to bring righteous people, their reward
and punish the Sinners. So, if there's people in the
crowd who were thinking Jesus might be the Messiah, it's very
surprising that he would choose Has to say with Zacchaeus
because they believed the Messiah would punish Sinners,
not, welcome them. Verse 8 Zacchaeus stood his
ground now. All it really says in the Greek
is stood. So it's like he's going to make
a speech. Remember he were in the house
now, so he's making his speech in his own house.
Something must have happened to him during the meal.
The convinced him that Jesus really is a messenger of God.
He has a moment of conversion because he becomes convinced to
genuinely repent. He's been led to genuine
repentance. So he stands And he says to
Jesus look sir, I'm going to sell half of my property to the
poor and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four
times the amount. So he promises here to sell half
his possessions to the poor. That's quite remarkable because
he's a rich man and then he also makes restitution for times over
for anyone. He has cheated as part of his
tax collecting, and he probably has cheated people in his tax
collecting the law. It seems, if we read the law,
the old Testament law correctly. In this situation, you would
only be required to pay back twice as much.
If you look at Leviticus 5 verse 24, it seems that twice as much
would be the appropriate way to pay back someone that you've
cheated. There are some passages though.
That's a the maximum you should give back his four or five times
the amount. So it seems here that the case
goes for the maximum he says I'm going to give myself the biggest
Penance. I'm going to pay back four or
five times as Much to anyone. I was cheated.
So he's going to lose a lot of money now, he's going to have to
pay a lot of people G. We know that Jesus says the true
repentance requires works. So this here is an example of
someone who really is repentant. His clearly showing his
repentance by doing good works verse 9.
Jesus said to him today, salvation has come to this
house. So Jesus, he declares that this
tax collector is truly repented today, salvation has come to
this house This man has entered the kingdom.
He is saved. That's quite remarkable a chief
tax collector enters, the kingdom of heaven.
And then Jesus says, since he is also a son of Abraham, the
meaning here is something like this.
This man is a Jew even though he's considered to be a sinner
and an outcast by Society because he works for the Romans,
he is a son of Abraham, so he deserves salvation.
If he, if he asks for it and Zacchaeus, here is given
salvation on this day, he repents and he enters the
kingdom. It's quite a For occasion,
actually verse 10. Jesus.
Finishes by saying the son of man came to seek and save what
was lost. It's quite a beautiful phrase.
This is a concise summary of Jesus mission.
His come to seek and save what was lost the meaning in context
here is that he's come to focus, particularly on Jews who were
given all of God's promises but they've yet to repent.
Jesus has come for those who got God's people the Jews, but who
have not yet repented so have not yet, come To God.
And that's the point of these other lost Parables that Jesus
has told earlier. If you think of the lost sheep,
the Lost coin, The Prodigal Son. All of these parables are about
someone lost who gets found. Zacchaeus is an example of
someone who fulfills these Parables.
He is a sinner who repents Jesus has come to bring these people
to God. So, there was probably much joy
in heaven when Zacchaeus repented.
He's an example of someone who was lost and then found that
angels. We rejoiced interestingly, this
story does show that it's possible for a rich person to
enter the kingdom of God. That was questioned in chapter
18 and in fact Jesus says it's a very hard for a rich person to
enter the kingdom. Here, we learned that it's
possible for a rich person to enter the Kingdom.
So that's an important lesson to take from this So in summary
here, you can say that Zacchaeus at the start of the story,
thought he was seeking Jesus, but the opposite was true as
well. Jesus came to seek Him.
Jesus here is presented as the kingly son of David.
The shepherd who goes seeking and saving the lost sheep.
If you look at Ezekiel chapter 34, verse 16, it talks there
about how one day the Messiah will be like a great Shepherd
who brings back the lost sheep of Israel.
And that's in his whole section. That's how Jesus is being
presented. Let's turn to the catechism of
the Catholic Church, which is a summary of church teachings and
see what it has to say about this passage paragraph 2 for 12,
this is about respect for the goods of others.
So about private property, in virtue of commutative Justice
reparation for Injustice. Committed requires the
restitution of stolen goods to their owner.
Jesus blesses, the key is for his pledge.
If I have defrauded anyone of Thing are restored, full fold.
Those who directly or indirectly have taken possession of the
goods of another are obliged to make restitution of them, or to
return the equivalent in kind, or in money.
If the goods have disappeared as well as the prophet or
advantages, there are in a would have legitimately obtained from
them. Likewise all who in some manner
have taken part in a theft or who have knowingly benefited
from it. For example, those who ordered
it, assisted in it or receive the stolen goods are obliged to
make restitution in proportion for their responsibilities and
to their share of what was stolen.
This is one of the lesser-known church teachings.
The church teaches that. If you steal something, or if
you defraud, something you must pay it back.
You must give it back to them. You have to make restitution and
it uses Zacchaeus as an example. So that's paragraph. 24 12, I'll
include this in the show notes, if you want to have a closer
look at it paragraph 588, this is Jesus and the temple.
Jesus scandalize the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors
and sinners as familiarly as with themselves amongst against
those among them who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous and despised others. Jesus affirmed.
I have not come to call the righteous, but Sinners to
repentance. Paragraph, 549 by friends, some
individuals from the Earthly evils of hunger, Injustice
illness and death, Jesus performed Messianic signs.
Nevertheless, he did not come to abolish.
All evils here below but to free men from the greatest slavery
sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God's sons and
causes all forms of human bondage.
And here the paragraph references.
Aquellas as someone who's in bondage to sin until Jesus frees
him. Paragraph, 27, 12.
This is in contemplative prayer. There's an interesting link
here. Contemplatively prayer is the
prayer of the child of God, of the forgiven sinner, who agrees
to welcome the Love by which he is loved and who wants to
respond to it by loving even more.
So, this last part of the catechism is all about the
different kinds of prayer. And contemplative prayer is one
of the highest kinds of prayer. And it says here, that
contemplative prayer is that shot, this the prayer of the
child of God, the forgiven sinner Gray's to welcome the
Love by which he's loved. And it's site is a keas as an
example of someone who welcomes the Love by which he's loved and
wants to respond by loving even more.
And that's true, isn't it as a key is welcomes?
Jesus, God's messenger. And he wants to respond to that
by loving others, even more and giving away his possessions.
So, an interesting, spiritual link here, as a key is in a
sense, a model for, for the prayer of the believer,
Hopefully, if you're on those links, really interesting, I'll
include those in the show notes. And once again, please continue
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and what it's all about, and we'll continue to look at Luke
in the coming days.