Between Righteousness & Mercy: Lent Week 5

Luke 19:1-10 Common English Bible

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through town. A man there named Zacchaeus, a ruler among tax collectors, was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but, being a short man, he couldn’t because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When Jesus came to that spot, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay in your home today.” So Zacchaeus came down at once, happy to welcome Jesus.

Everyone who saw this grumbled, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much.”

Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this household because he too is a son of Abraham. The Human One came to seek and save the lost.”

Reflection

The crowds’ grumbling against Jesus’ choice to stay with Zacchaeus, a tax collector notorious for exploiting his own people, raises fundamental questions about righteousness and mercy. This tension—between condemning oppression and extending compassion—resonates with contemporary debates about judgment and forgiveness. Zacchaeus, labeled a sinner due to his ill-gotten wealth, embodies this conflict. While the crowds' anger is understandable, Jesus seeks him out, offering a surprising invitation. This act, offensive to the onlookers, triggers a profound transformation.

Instead of condemnation, Jesus offers a "gentle calling-in," prompting Zacchaeus to pledge restitution and restore his fractured relationships. This act of reconciliation, both with God and his defrauded neighbors, prompts Jesus to declare, "Today salvation has come to this house," emphasizing communal wholeness over individual absolution. This highlights that righteousness is intrinsically linked to "right relationship," and God's mercy often disrupts our expectations.

Rachel Held Evans' writes that "God has a really bad habit of loving people we don’t approve of" and here that is quite vividly illustrated. 

Zacchaeus, a deplorable traitor to his people, receives "winsome grace" and "gentle mercy," demonstrating the healing power of attentive love. The Greek word σωτηρία (soteria), implying both salvation and deliverance, underscores this restoration.

The story compels us to examine our own biases. Zacchaeus's name, ironically meaning "righteousness," contrasts sharply with his actions. We're challenged to question our assumptions and consider his complexity. The crowds’ grumbling, echoing the Pharisees' discontent that we read in the previous week, prompts us to reflect on the nature of justified anger and whether or not we would join the chorus of condemnation.

The narrative also highlights the significance of hospitality as a space for spiritual transformation, as Zacchaeus welcomes Jesus. The interpretation of Zacchaeus's restitution—whether a promise to be fulfilled or a present action already underway—shapes our understanding of mercy and righteousness.

Ultimately, the Zacchaeus story challenges us to navigate the delicate balance between these two principles, demonstrating that true transformation occurs when we extend compassion, even to those we deem undeserving, and that doing so can restore broken relationships.

Question for reflection:

At the end of the story, who is righteous? Who is not? Why?