Zacchaeus Teaches Us To Be Reconciled To God And Man

Fr Dexter Brereton, CSSp 

Last Sunday, I spoke of a story about going to see a relative who lay dying and who I did not consider to be a good person. I was disturbed by my own obsession to see him punished and left the room feeling ashamed and depleted. Any obsession to “punish the sinner” ultimately proves harmful.  Here is another lovely story for all of us obsessed with the punishment of the sinner. Zacchaeus, in this week’s gospel, was one of the chief tax collectors and a very wealthy man. The tax collectors at the time of Jesus had a reputation for corruption and dishonesty. They were rightly labeled as collaborators with the Roman occupiers. Yet, it is about Zacchaeus that Jesus says “this man too is a son of Abraham”. Indeed Jesus also says, “salvation has come to this house.” Salvation is proper relationship with God and with your fellow human beings. What is at the centre of this story is Zacchaeus’ restoration to the community from which he was an outcast – though a wealthy one.

I am struck by the initial detail about his wealth and about his inability to see Jesus ‘because of the crowd’.  Luke writes: “…he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see that 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 was to pass that way…”

Here is someone who is gifted (a “wealthy man”) yet was “up a Sycamore tree.” Over the years, in my parish ministry, I have encountered many persons who were gifted and at the same time alienated from their own church community on account of some quarrel or ill-treatment that they experienced. Some time ago, I tried to ask for help from a woman, a former parishioner who by reputation was a gifted dramatist. Even her daddy agreed that she was, but was somewhat bemused by my suggestion that I ask her to come and assist the parish. I practically had the phone slammed in my ear as I found my plea, gruffly rebuffed. Here was a woman who, like Zacchaeus was a wealthy individual (i.e. talented) and at the same time who had ‘climbed a Sycamore tree’ of her own. Her tree might also have been called the ‘tree of anger’ or ‘tree of unforgiveness.’ How many persons, I wonder are alienated from the church or from the nation refusing to give of their considerable talent because of the treatment that they may have received.?

For the sister who refused me and others like her there is always hope. There is always, present among us, that ‘Jesus person’ who comes to the foot of the tree, to the place of their isolation and alienation and says to them, “John, Mary, Susan, come down. Hurry because I must stay at your house today.”

Lord, at various times in our lives we were like Zacchaeus, alienated from life, alienated from our communities. Then Lord, some Jesus person comes and invites us to come out of our ‘sycamore’ tree. Our sycamore tree has other names Lord, ‘grief’, ‘self-pity’, ‘anger’, ‘unforgiveness.’ The beautiful thing about life O Lord is that you continually send ‘Jesus people’ to coax alienated individuals out of the trees in which they are hidden. Thank you Lord.