Someone's got to tell them about their only hope

 

Luke 19:1-10       Pentecost XXI

 Luke is rough on the wealthy.

In Chapter 12 we have the story of the Rich Fool, who ignores the plight of those in need as he builds bigger barns to store more than he could ever need.  He was completely oblivious to the needs of anyone else as he accrued more for himself.  His life is over, and to what does it all amount?

In Chapter 16 we have the Dishonest Steward who was unscrupulous in his business dealings, with the message that a person cannot serve both God and Wealth. 

We also have the story of the unnamed rich man and Lazarus.  It is another story of wealth ignoring poverty and reversals of fortune, along with warnings about the hubris of entitlement in the Kingdom of God.

Chapter 18 offers the story of the Rich Young Man who goes away sad after calculating the cost of salvation against his wealth, with a lesson on how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom and the question, “Who can be saved?”

And now Zacchaeus.  This is different.  All the others leave those who benefit from empire’s inequities without hope in the end.  Zacchaeus shows us the path to answer the question of salvation differently.  The hope is repentance. 

The predatory practices of those who gain wealth go against the living of agaph commanded by Jesus.  Ignoring the poor who are created by those predatory empire practices and systems goes against Jesus’ Law of Love as well.  Those who benefit from the practices directly, or indirectly from the systems put in place to benefit them are in direct opposition to the Law of agaph, especially if they do not help those who are victimized by it or work to change the systems put in place that victimize them.  There is little hope for those who live this life.

But for those who repent like Zacchaeus, there is hope.  Changing their thinking to make things right and positively affect those held down, back and out by empire’s system built on greed, power and status is their hope.  Making amends as one transformed by an encounter with Jesus makes one right with God.  Faithful action that saves lives saves the life of those engaged in the faithful action.  Zacchaeus was lost.  He had no hope.  Until he changed how he looked at it and changed his actions (metanoia) regarding wealth and the practices around wealth that benefitted him at the expense of others, he had no hope.  His encounter with Jesus changed that because it changed him.  Jesus came to save the lost.

Someone needs to tell the lost who intentionally gain at the expense of others and those who indirectly benefit from the systems put in place by them and for them, that their hope is in transformation through encountering Jesus and His Good News with repentance.  They need to know that Jesus wants them to know salvation through repentance, according to Luke.