Today is the last Sunday after Pentecost and is always marked by the reading of the Gospel account of Zacchaeus’ desire to see Jesus and his salvation. This forms a sort of transition from the post-Paschal season to the Great Fast season which prepares us for Pascha. The Gospel readings of the next four Sundays continue to prepare us to enter into the Great Fast. We don’t just jump into it cold turkey.
What is it that is notable about Zacchaeus? First, of all, he is a tax collector – a publican (more about publicans next week). Not only was he a tax collector, he was the chief tax collector for the district. This meant he had other tax collectors working for him. Often the tax collectors not only collected the tax exacted by the Roman government, including their proper commission, but they also added charges for their own unjust enrichment. The people were at their mercy because punishment would follow if they didn’t comply.
Jericho in the time of Jesus was a newly-constructed city near the ancient Jericho. The people who lived there, including many priests from Jerusalem, produced and exported balsam used as a healing ointment. They were very wealthy. The tax collectors also benefitted from this trade.
Now we have the sight of this very wealthy, but very hated, man humbling himself in front of the wealthy citizens, and even his fellow tax collectors, because he had such a strong desire to see Jesus. The church fathers note that Zacchaeus was not only raising himself bodily from the earth, but spiritually from his attachment to earthly things. It’s no easy thing to risk your dignity for any reason, but Zacchaeus did.
Just as shocking, and even funny, was it for the people to see Zacchaeus in the tree, it was equally shocking, but not so funny, to see Jesus calling for Zacchaeus to come down and inviting himself to his home for dinner. The Gospel tells us that the people grumbled when they saw what Jesus was doing. The word, “grumble” is used frequently in the Old Testament to describe expressions of complaining, indignation or fault-finding against another, specifically God, and his prophets and priests – Moses and Aaron.
Zacchaeus is not put off by this grumbling. His response is giving half of his great possessions to the poor and paying back fourfold what he had defrauded. This went way beyond religious expectations in the Old Testament. Jesus’ kindness and love brought forth such a generous response. None of this would have happened if Zacchaeus had not humbled himself, put aside his vanity, in order to see Jesus.
As we transition from the time after Pascha to the time in preparation for Pascha, the church gives us the example of Zacchaeus and calls us out of our vanity into humility. St. John Climacus wrote, “Vanity is the attitude of one who is afraid of people and is arrogant before the face of God, who thinks God’s judgment matters little, provided that he has the approval of those who surround him.”
To enter fully into the purifying season of the Great Fast, we must first take stock of ourselves and whether we value the esteem of others – even our self-esteem – more than the esteem of God. If we cannot admit our weaknesses and failings – our sinfulness, no mater how small – then we can never enter into the process of repentance that is the hallmark of the Great Fast. Rather than patting ourselves on the back because others like us or think well of us, or because we think well of ourselves, we can be quietly and humbly grateful at God’s providential care for us.
During this week, we should all look at ourselves, humbly and objectively, and identify where our lives, our relationship to God and the people around us, need to go. Accomplishing this with God’s grace will be our goal to improve by Pascha.
We can see Jesus. He has come to seek and save what was lost. We come eagerly to be sought, found and saved.
St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Parish 