No one is much pleased about this, other than Zacchaeus. Old Zack is a tax collector, which in the Roman world was basically a sanctioned criminal. Jews like Zacchaeus had paid the Romans for their positions. They had a set amount to collect, and anything they managed beyond that was theirs. With Roman might at their disposal, they shook down their fellow Jews, growing wealthy as they robbed their neighbors and supported an occupying empire. Of all the people for Jesus to pick.
On this day when lots of people are headed to Grandma's house, we hear Jesus invite himself to Zacchaeus' house. No Norman Rockwell painting here. Zacchaeus friends are likely as unsavory as he is, and the house is the product of ill gotten gain. But there is Jesus at the table. The occasion overwhelms Zacchaeus, who vows to turn over a new leaf. And Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham." In other words, the last person anyone would invite for Thanksgiving is restored to the community, is a beloved member of the family.
Thanksgiving and the upcoming Christmas season usually prompt an outpouring of help for the less fortunate, often in the form of food and dinners. Our congregation does this as well, and many of the recipients are thrilled to receive what we bring. But in my experience, the divide of "us" and "them" often remains. So how do we become community? How do we become family?
Click to learn more about the Daily Lectionary.
No comments:
Post a Comment