Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Daily Office, Year One, Proper 5, Tuesday
Today's Readings:
Zacchaeus is a tax collecter in Jericho. He has heard about this Jesus of Nazareth, running around and teaching people about the Kingdom of God. Zacchaeus is not described as a believer, nor does he act like the other extra Biblical characters who believe that Jesus is the messiah as soon as they hear his name. Zacchaeus approaches Jesus with an open mind and questions: Who is this Jesus? What does he really teach? Why do so many people praise him? Why do so many curse him? Unsure, Zacchaeus makes an effort to witness Jesus personally. He does not believe everything he has heard without judging it against his own personal experience. He is an early Thomas figure, and for that he is one of my unsung heroes in the Bible.
We don't know what Jesus taught, so we don't know how Zacchaeus reacted. He may have reacted with the Biblical version of the fist-pump "Yes!" and shaken the sycamore, attracting Jesus' attention to him. He may have reacted like the previous tax collecter we read about, wailing in his heart "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner". Either way, Jesus calls him down, and tells Zacchaeus that he is hosting Jesus for dinner. I'm sure that someone with more knowledge of Palestinian hospitality mores will be able to teach us what that really meant. Jesus inviting himself, forcing Zacchaeus to be a host, may have been awfully rude, it may have forced Zacchaeus into the role of a servant, and thus by humbling himself, exalting himself in the eyes of God.
All we know is that another soul, confused and lost in the screwed up dominion-based power struggle system of his day, was found and given salvation. Zacchaeus repents, and promises reparations. It is a good thing that Zacchaeus did not believe the first things he heard about Jesus. He may have heard that Jesus was a trouble maker, a false prophet who was taking the Jews to a false god. No, Zacchaeus needed to see for himself what Jesus was all about. That's the lesson of the day. Paul teaches us that Satan looks like the brightest angel, so it is no wonder that Satan's servants appear to be the most righteous. I'm reminded of a scene from The Fellowship ofthe Ring, when Aragorn first meets Frodo and Sam. Sam, being protective, is unsure about Aragorn and does not like the look of him. Frodo responds that if Aragorn was a servent of evil, then he would appear more fair but feel foul. Don't judge people by heresay. Judge people by personal experience. ¶ 11:13 AM
- Psalm 61,62
- Deut. 30:11-20
- 2 Cor. 11:1-21a
- Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus is a tax collecter in Jericho. He has heard about this Jesus of Nazareth, running around and teaching people about the Kingdom of God. Zacchaeus is not described as a believer, nor does he act like the other extra Biblical characters who believe that Jesus is the messiah as soon as they hear his name. Zacchaeus approaches Jesus with an open mind and questions: Who is this Jesus? What does he really teach? Why do so many people praise him? Why do so many curse him? Unsure, Zacchaeus makes an effort to witness Jesus personally. He does not believe everything he has heard without judging it against his own personal experience. He is an early Thomas figure, and for that he is one of my unsung heroes in the Bible.
We don't know what Jesus taught, so we don't know how Zacchaeus reacted. He may have reacted with the Biblical version of the fist-pump "Yes!" and shaken the sycamore, attracting Jesus' attention to him. He may have reacted like the previous tax collecter we read about, wailing in his heart "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner". Either way, Jesus calls him down, and tells Zacchaeus that he is hosting Jesus for dinner. I'm sure that someone with more knowledge of Palestinian hospitality mores will be able to teach us what that really meant. Jesus inviting himself, forcing Zacchaeus to be a host, may have been awfully rude, it may have forced Zacchaeus into the role of a servant, and thus by humbling himself, exalting himself in the eyes of God.
All we know is that another soul, confused and lost in the screwed up dominion-based power struggle system of his day, was found and given salvation. Zacchaeus repents, and promises reparations. It is a good thing that Zacchaeus did not believe the first things he heard about Jesus. He may have heard that Jesus was a trouble maker, a false prophet who was taking the Jews to a false god. No, Zacchaeus needed to see for himself what Jesus was all about. That's the lesson of the day. Paul teaches us that Satan looks like the brightest angel, so it is no wonder that Satan's servants appear to be the most righteous. I'm reminded of a scene from The Fellowship ofthe Ring, when Aragorn first meets Frodo and Sam. Sam, being protective, is unsure about Aragorn and does not like the look of him. Frodo responds that if Aragorn was a servent of evil, then he would appear more fair but feel foul. Don't judge people by heresay. Judge people by personal experience. ¶ 11:13 AM
