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Zacchaeus is a thief of the governmental variety. He’s not just a tax-collecting bean counter; he’s a chief tax-collecting bean counter in the wealthy city of Jericho. Taxes were high in this popular city. Whether the Roman occupiers increased taxes or not, Zacchaeus made sure his cut went up. He was rich.
Zacchaeus heard that a new rabbi, Jesus, is coming by. Famously, he climbs a sycamore tree to get a better look. Zacchaeus expects to be a spectator, but Jesus surprises everyone by speaking as if he and the tax collector are friends. “Zacchaeus, I’m coming to your house today!” he says.
This unlikely exchange turns the man who felt he had a license to steal into a man with a heart and a desire to give. Zacchaeus promises restitution four times over to anyone whom he had cheated. Four times is twice what is required by the law of Exodus 22. He goes even further by vowing to give half of his possessions to the poor. Zacchaeus summoned to generosity; he has become a citizen of the “House of Salvation” (Luke 19:9).
This message is excerpted from the Bible study “The Ten Commandments: Reviving the soul” by Christa Von Zychlin in the March/April 2023 Gather magazine.