Sermon preached at St. Alban's, Spirit Lake, on November 4, 2007
(Proper 26, Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, BCP Lectionary)
by the Rev. Carl D. Mann

Texts:   Isaiah 1:10-20
Psalm 32 or 32:1-8
2 Thessalonians 1:1-5(6-10)11-12
Luke 19:1-10

"… / Let me tell you how it will be; / There's one for you, nineteen for me. / … / Should five per cent appear too small, / Be thankful I don't take it all. / 'Cause I'm the taxman, / Yeah, I'm the taxman. / If you drive a car; - I'll tax the street; / If you try to sit; - I'll tax your seat; / If you get too cold; - I'll tax the heat; / If you take a walk; - I'll tax your feet. / … / 'Cause I'm the taxman, / Yeah, I'm the taxman. / …"

Most of you may recognize the lyrics to the Beatles' 1967 hit "Taxman". Down through the ages everyone has little love for the tax collector and as we heard last week, they were especially hated in Israel because they were considered traitors and mercenaries working in collaboration with the occupying Roman government.

Now quickly reviewing last week's Gospel, we heard the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector praying at the temple and we saw how Jesus reversed the perceptions of the people by having the hated tax collector end up being the vindicated one because of his humility before God. His prayer was, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." Because of his humble faith, this law breaker was made righteous in the eyes of God instead of the Pharisee, the law abiding citizen.

Now if you are like me, this question comes to mind: "After being forgiven and being made righteous, did the tax collector continue to collect taxes or did he change his ways?" Like so many of Jesus' parables there is no follow up. Even our Lord asked a few weeks ago, "Were there not ten lepers? Where are the other nine?" Scripture doesn't always answer these questions directly.

But I believe today's Gospel does answer my question from last week. Could it be possible that Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector was actually a memory of something he had observed from his last visit to the temple?

Now for the sake of the sermon let's assume that Zacchaeus is indeed the tax collector in question from last week. Now Zacchaeus is a man of short stature. He isn't very tall! So he doesn't measure up physically as well as occupationally to the standards of the day. And ironically his name means "the righteous or the pure one." But as he prays to God for mercy, his prayer is a simple one and as he leaves the temple he feels a change come over him. He doesn't quite understand it but knows that something is different. And as he journeys back down to Jericho he begins to reassess his life. "What am I doing with my life? I have lost every friend that I ever had because of my dealings with the Romans. Sure I'm rich beyond my wildest imagination but what good is it if I can't even go out in public without being scorned by my people. I feel that I should do something but I am not exactly sure what it is. And the thoughts that are coming into my head would radically change the way that I live my life. In fact, I might lose everything that I have accumulated over the years. That doesn't sound too good but then what difference does it make when I can't do everything that I want. Why no one even comes to visit me in my house. I have the best food and drink available but no one to share it with outside of my own household. There's something missing in my life but I don't know what it is."

And so it goes until one day he hears that this Jesus fellow is coming through town. "Maybe if I seek him out he might have the answer that I am looking for. I hear that he actually sits down with people such as myself and talks with them and eats with them. I've got to go see this man for myself and who knows maybe he can guide me along the way."

So Zacchaeus ventures out into public which in and of itself is a dangerous thing for him to do because of his status as social pariah. Not only will he be subjected to verbal abuse but the violence that resides beneath the surface of an unruly mob could very well lash out at him as a perceived traitor if things got ugly. And it seems that where ever this Jesus goes, he certainly stirs up the crowds.

But it appears that due to Zacchaeus' short stature and Jesus' popularity the crowds ignore him for the most part although it is possible to believe that as he is trying to push his way to the front in order to see Jesus he might be pushed back because of who he is. But he feels a burning in his heart. He has to see this man come hell or high water. So in order for him to catch a glimpse of Jesus, he runs ahead on the road and climbs a sycamore tree so that he can look down upon Jesus as he passes by.

And similar to the story of the calling of Nathanael, whom Jesus had seen before he actually saw him, Jesus looks up into the tree as if he expected to find him there, calls Zacchaeus by name and then invites himself into Zacchaeus' home. Not with the cheekiness of an unwanted guest but with loving warmth as if he is inviting Zacchaeus into his home. The English translation sounds like this: "Come down for I must stay in your house today." But in the Greek it could be translated as "Descend for today I must abide in your tabernacle." Or better yet, it could be translated as "Cast yourself down and humble yourself so that I may fill your heart." In other words, "Put yourself into the exact state of being that you were in when you prayed to God for mercy and I will fill that void in your life. When you have let me into your heart then you will be transformed and will know what it is that you are supposed to do with you life."

And with those words, Zacchaeus became a changed man. He humbly welcomed Jesus into his home and immediately told Jesus that he would give half of his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he had cheated fourfold, which was above and beyond what the law required. Now this is critical because just prior to this story and just after the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector was the story of the rich young ruler that we read about earlier this summer. He was the man who wanted to follow Jesus in the worst way and did all that the law required but he couldn't give up his wealth which was the one thing that stood between him and God. Now Zacchaeus freely gave up of his wealth contrary to the rich young ruler but it is also implied that he gave up that which had kept him separated from God: his job as tax collector.

We know this because Jesus says that "Today salvation has come into this house because he too is a son of Abraham." In other words, "Today this man has been delivered from that which has bound him. No longer is he an outcast. No longer is he outside of the boundaries of fellowship. He is the one sheep for which the shepherd left the other ninety-nine to go and find. No longer does he fall short due to physical or social stature because with me abiding in his heart, his life is complete and indeed he has become righteous and pure."

For the past two weeks in the parables of the Unjust Judge and the Pharisee and the Tax Collector we have discovered the two halves of faith: persistence and humility. In today's Gospel story of Zacchaeus we see that complete faith in action. Being shut out and pushed back by the world little Zacchaeus relentlessly pushes ahead not to prominently place himself before the Lord but rather to humbly hide himself in a tree just to catch a glimpse of him. And it is in this state of unassuming determination that Jesus acknowledges and accepts as an open invitation from Zacchaeus to enter in, bring to completion, and change his life.

We are all broken in some way. We all have at least one thing probably more than one thing that separates us from God. As the Apostle Paul says, "We are all sinners and have fallen short of the Glory of God." Like Zacchaeus, we all have a void in our heart which needs to be filled. But Jesus is there patiently waiting for us to seek him out and invite him into our lives so that we may be brought into Christian fellowship. All that is required of us is an active belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior by means of a persistent and humble faith. When we make this choice only then are we truly free to discern and to live out God's will for us in the world. Only then will we be able to offer to God true and laudable service. Only then will we be able to run without stumbling. All we have to do is choose.

Gloria Patri