Zacchaeus gets a bad rap. I think it’s undeserved.

It’s why I cannot overemphasize the importance of reading the Bible carefully. Once we see things in a certain way, it is hard to un-see them that way again. I don’t know about you, but for most of my Bible-reading life I’ve seen Zacchaeus as a “wee little man” who was a lying, cheating, stealing, low-down dirty scoundrel of a tax collector. And did I mention stealing? Everybody hated him.

Why have I thought this? Well, for starters, he as much as admitted it, didn’t he, when he said he would give half of his possessions to the poor and pay back anyone he had cheated four times the amount? Wasn’t that pretty much an admission of guilt? After all, wasn’t that why Jesus went to his house—to scold him into changing his ways?

As I learn from my own teachers to read more carefully, I am beginning to see Zach a bit differently. Most translations of Luke 19:8 translate the Greek verb for “give” as the present tense verb that it is.

In other words, instead of Zacchaeus saying, “I will give half of my possessions to the poor,” he actually said, “I give half of my possessions to the poor.” The same can be said of the latter report where he actually says, “I pay back four times the amount to anybody I have cheated.” Zacchaeus is telling Jesus of his present policy and practice as relates to money.

Here’s a wealthy person who gives away half of his possessions to the poor. He tithes 50 percent to the needy. Meanwhile, everybody around has him in the category of sinner, which effectively means scumbag outcast. Nowhere is there a report that Zach actually cheated anyone. Whether or not he had done so before, this policy of paying back four times the amount seems more than fair. I mean, last time I checked, the IRS will give you a refund where they might have “cheated” you, but there are never multiples! Given the kind of report Zach is offering here, he seems like the kind of guy who would catch and report his own errors. Think about it. Why would a guy who gives half of his holdings to the poor turn around and cheat them on their taxes?

When Jesus called out his name and said he wanted to come over, that was all good news to Zacchaeus. He “welcomed him gladly,” we are told. One would think if Zacchaeus was the scuzzball everyone said, he would have been mortified that Jesus wanted to come to his house.

So rather than this being a repentance story, it’s a reward story. It turns out to be another stick it to the self-righteous religious people story—a vindication to restoration to salvation story.

The only people who seem in need of repentance are the grumblers who are angry that Jesus went to see him. When Jesus recognizes Zacchaeus as a “son of Abraham,” he basically restores him to the community—just like he did those lepers the other day. 

In short, just like with the widows and the prostitutes and the Samaritan leper and the tax collector in the temple and the blind beggar, Jesus adds Zacchaeus to the list of all-stars you want to be like.

It’s also worth pointing out that Zacchaeus, unlike the rich ruler of a few days back, is an example of a wealthy person who hits the mark. And the grumbling crowd? They get added to the naughty list.

The long and short of today’s lesson: be careful how you read because it will determine how you lead and, yes, how you seed. 

It turns out Zacchaeus wasn’t such a wee little man after all. He’s got a massive heart.

PRAY

Lord Jesus, thank you for being the God of the rest of the story. Save us from bad reading and dark prejudices and stereotypes and prejudgments we are all so prone to make. Thank you for the almost constant reversals you do all around us all the time—blowing up our categories and humbling our ways. Keep on keeping on. It will be for your glory, for others’ gain, and for our own good. Praying in your name, Jesus, amen. 

JOURNAL

What do you make of this reading of the story of Zaccheus? It’s not a novel or even new reading. What if it’s actually a much much older reading and in keeping with the actual words of Scripture? Do you find yourself wanting to push back on this insight or wanting to read it all now even more deeply? 

SING

Today, we will sing “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” (hymn 304) from our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise.

For the Awakening,

J. D. Walt

John David (J. D.) Walt Jr. is the Sower-in-Chief for Seedbed and the pastor of the Gillett Methodist Church in Gillett, Arkansas. 

Subscribe to get this in your inbox daily, and please share this link with friends.