Some more fun movable activities for your Come Follow Me discussions.
 |
| Be careful coloring the donkey: the top side you see ends up INSIDE the folded donkey. |
We had an interesting time doing CFM tonight with Karen and Peter.
They had come so the girls could make Pinewood Derby cars. When their own car was done, Bridget and Liz each made miniature Harry Potter books with me while Karen colored and cut these activities with Megan.
After dinner, one of the stories we read was about Zacchaeus.
And Peter and Karen interpreted the scripture to show that Zacchaeus was already a righteous man when he climbed the tree (" Hey, quit criticizing. I give half of what I earn to the poor and if any of you complain, I give you 4x back").
I had never thought of the story that way. I had always read that Zaccheaus was a typical tax collector: corrupt : and that his statements were declaration of his intent in the future, proof of the fruit of his repentance upon meeting and being accepted by Jesus.
So I went online.
Both interpretations exist. Whole books have been written supporting one or the other interpretation. The vast majority of sites (mostly evangelical or mainline christian) taught my view; others persuasively saw the story like Karen and Peter.
Lesson?
Don't be so sure you know for sure what the Bible is saying.
Here is some of what I found in a quick Google search (note: this is NOT the best way to do serious Bible study!). The crossbars separate quotes from various sites.
WIKIPEDIA
Zacchaeus, or Zaccheus (Ancient Greek: Ζακχαῖος, Zakkhaîos;
Hebrew: זכי, "pure",
"innocent"[1]), was a chief tax-collector at Jericho, mentioned only
in the Gospel of Luke.[2] A descendant of Abraham, he was an example of Jesus'
personal, earthly mission to bring salvation to the lost.[3] Tax collectors were despised as
traitors (working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community), and as
being corrupt.
Because the lucrative production and export of balsam was
centered in Jericho, his position would have carried both importance and
wealth.[4][5] In the account, he arrived before the crowd who were later to
meet with Jesus, who was passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. He
was short in stature and so was unable to see Jesus through the crowd (Luke
19:3). Zacchaeus then ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree along Jesus' path.
When Jesus reached the spot he looked up at the sycamore tree (actually a
sycamore-fig ficus sycomorus[6]), addressed Zacchaeus by name, and told him to
come down, for he intended to visit his house. The crowd was shocked that Jesus, a religious
teacher/prophet, would sully himself by being a guest of a sinner
.In Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches of Slavic
tradition, the Gospel account of Zacchaeus is read on the last Sunday preceding
the liturgical preparation for Great Lent, for which reason that Sunday is
known as "Zacchaeus Sunday." It is the very first commemoration of a
new Paschal cycle. The account was chosen to open the Lenten season because of
two exegetical aspects: Jesus' call to Zacchaeus to come down from the tree (symbolizing
the divine call to humility), and Zacchaeus' subsequent repentance.
Spiritual lessons
The story of Zacchaeus is used by some [8] to illustrate the
saying of Jesus: "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see
God" Matthew 5:8, because the name Zacchaeus means 'pure'. Zacchaeus also
becomes a contrast of character with the Rich Young Ruler Luke 18:18-23. Both
Zacchaeus and the Rich Young Ruler were wealthy men, but one was self-righteous
and would not give up his possessions, while the other gave half his
possessions to feed the poor.[9]
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was
there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of
the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since
Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said
to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house
today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people
saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I
give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of
anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son
of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
— Luke 19:1-10
Then on top of giving away his
possessions, he repented of his sins and wanted to make it right—even the sins
he didn't know he made. Zacchaeus wanted to be clean, to be whole, to be
forgiven. Zacchaeus wanted a relationship with Christ.
Zacchaeus was a successful businessman, a chief tax
collector. In those days, there were three primary places where taxes were
collected: Capernaum, Jerusalem, and Jericho. Zacchaeus, being the chief tax
collector in Jericho, was over one of the "Big Three." He was head of
a tax farming cooperation with collectors who extorted the people and paid him
before he paid the Romans. You might say that he was the kingpin of the Jericho
tax cartel. He was hated, despised, and isolated by his fellow Jews.
But Jesus had a different view of Zacchaeus. He assessed him
this way: "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost." (Luke 19:10) In other words, Jesus saw the real problem with
Zacchaeus. He did these things because he was lost. . . .
Everyone stopped and looked at Zacchaeus. I doubt they were
looking at him with love. They were probably thinking, "Let's cut this
tree down with this creep in it." But I believe Jesus' look was different
than the rest. I think His look was one of love and compassion.
Jesus told him, "Make haste and come down, for today I
must stay at your house." Can you imagine the excitement that filled the
heart of Zacchaeus? He probably came down that tree a lot more quickly than he
went up.
Jesus and Zacchaeus momentarily disappeared from the crowd.
They had a conversation that changed the course of this chief tax collector's
life. Something dramatic happened during that visit, but Scripture doesn't
reveal what it was. It is clear that Zacchaeus came out a different man than
when he went in.
Clearly, this change had taken
place in Zacchaeus. Salvation had come to him. He was no longer the same man.
RECOGNIZED AMBIGUITY
Zacchaeus's response to the crowd's charges raises the
passage's major interpretive issues. The remark's exact timing is not clear.
Does it come immediately after Jesus' request, as the grumbling becomes
audible? Or does it come afterward? What is clear is that the statements are
made in a public setting. Zacchaeus makes a defense. But does he state that he
recently has been faithful in being generous, with the verbs of this verse as
progressive present tenses (Fitzmyer 1985:1220, 1225)? Or is he vowing to make
generous restitution in the future, the verbs being futuristic presents (Stein
1992:466-67)?
The latter reading is much more likely. Numerous reasons
suggest its superiority, but a few are decisive (Stein lists seven reasons for
this view). A present tense would portray Zacchaeus as a boaster, which is
unlikely in this context. Second, it would be harder to understand the crowd's
hostility, if Zacchaeus has already mended his ways. Statements about salvation
coming to Zacchaeus's house this very day and about the lost being saved have
less power if the salvation is not connected to this current event. The context
is full of events where salvation has just been offered (18:9-14, 15-17, 18-30,
35-43). Though faith is not explicitly mentioned in this context as it is in
the previous account of the blind man, Zacchaeus's actions represent a concrete
expression of faith's presence—a theme that goes back to John the Baptist's
call (3:8-14).
So Zacchaeus responds: "Here and now I give half of my
possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will
pay back four times the amount." Two actions substantiate Zacchaeus's new
approach. A new generosity means that half of his assets are going to those in
need (contrast 12:13-21; 16:19-31; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 16-18). In addition,
anyone who was robbed will be paid back with the highest penalty the law
allows, a fourfold rate (Ex 22:1; 2 Sam 12:6). Normal restitution added only 20
percent (Lev 5:16; Num 5:7). The Mishna tended rarely to apply a more severe 40
percent penalty (m. Ketubot 3:9; m. Baba Qamma 7:1-5). This rich man, touched
by Jesus and responding with faith, exemplifies the restoration of a "lost
one" and opens up his resources to be shared with others. He does not have
to sell everything to receive Jesus' commendation. His heart is in the right
place when it comes to possessions. So Zacchaeus becomes an exemplary rich
disciple. Jesus announces, "Today
salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of
Abraham." https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/Saving-Lost-Zacchaeus
No comments:
Post a Comment