Weekly Conversation on Zacchaeus

Do you remember, listeners, what the Savior said about the rich, when the rich young man refused to follow the Savior? “It’s more convenient,” said the Lord, “I will tell you to pass through the ears of a needle, so as to bring a rich man into the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25). But, the Savior added: “what is not possible with man, is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). And so, to justify the last words of the Lord, we are presented with the example of Zacchaeus. This example shows precisely that a rich person can be among the children of Abraham. How can this happen? Let us listen to the Gospel story about Zacchaeus. “And (Jesus) entered Jericho. And behold a man was called Zacchaeus; and he was an old publican, and he was rich” (Luke 19:1, 2). Zacchaeus was not only a publican, which meant tax collector of the state tax, but “an old publican” - the chief tax tax collector. Jericho, where Zacchaeus lived, was a rich city; the trade in palm wood and balsam made it famous and prosperous. Therefore, it is not surprising that the main tax collector in commercial Jericho was a rich man. “And you sought to see Jesus: ...and the people were unable to do so, because you were small in age. And he went up to the buttock, so that he could see that he wanted to pass by it” (Luke 19: 3, 4) Hearing about the miracles and teachings of Jesus aroused faith in Jesus in Zacchaeus; faith aroused the desire to see Jesus. Zacchaeus seeks the happiness of seeing Jesus. But here are the obstacles: “I’m young.” Small stature makes it difficult to see Jesus in a crowd of people. What to do? Pushing through a crowd to get closer to Jesus? For a famous rich man, a man of such importance in the world, to jostle among people of all kinds is delicate. Moreover, Zacchaeus, as is noticeable, did not consider it convenient, without prior acquaintance, to enter into intercourse with Jesus. What to do? I want to see Jesus, but how to see? Looking for a high place, a tall tree? Very ticklish. In view of many people to climb a tree? In view of everyone, stay on the tree? This means setting yourself up as a target where the ridicule of youth, the barbs of wits, and the talk of the crowd will fall. Zacchaeus understands and feels this very much. And yet he decides to do anything just to see the Lord. Great determination! Zacchaeus decides on troubles, on humiliation, just to fulfill his holy desire; - for the Lord enters into a struggle with the light and its opinions: this is a feat worthy of a high soul! Such a feat is not easy for a rich man; but if it is necessary for salvation, one must choose it. “How long... will you worship on both knees?” - Prophet Elijah spoke to Israel. If the God of Israel is your God, why do you not give up your wicked desires? Why doesn’t your whole soul serve Him, your true Master and God? (1 Kings 18:21) You feel your bad situation, you feel the need for a change in life; but false shame prevents you from starting a different way of life, but vanity keeps you on the path that so surely leads to destruction. Have pity on yourself. Imagine the shame that will cover you, exposed at the world court. Imagine the endless sorrow that will torment you for your betrayal of the Lord, for your insane dooming of yourself to destruction for a pernicious world. Is it difficult to go against the customs accepted by the world? Is it hard to expose yourself to the world? But if a certain monetary turnover promises us benefits; If there is hope of getting glory for your work, what are you not prepared to do for money? What kind of work is not done for honor? Why is there no such determination, no such constancy in our love for our own, eternal salvation? Why do you need more sacrifices for money, more work for honor, than for the Lord? The fact is that they do not begin to do good, do not begin to do it, in order to turn to the Lord in humble prayer for help. If you are confident in the holiness of the enterprise, in its need for the soul: pray to the Lord and walk cheerfully on your way; do not humiliate your soul before sin. Let people not understand you! God knows and covers you. Will you lose your glory here? They will return it there. Will people here laugh? The Lord will console you here and there. At least you had the opportunity to endure ridicule and slander for your good deed; don't step back; Without battle there is no victory, but for the winner there is a crown - he who endures to the end will be saved. Zacchaeus's determination to cause trouble for good did not go unrewarded. Zacchaeus considered it a blessing to have just looked at the Lord; and the Knower of the Heart, seeing Zacchaeus’s disposition, consoles him with unexpected joy - he visits Zacchaeus’s very house. For this reason, Zacchaeus did not stop at just the first feat. Warmed, inflamed by the love of the Lord, he then, like foolishness, murmurs against the love of the Lord, which visited the house of a sinful husband, shows by deeds that a wonderful change has occurred in his heart - by deeds he testifies to his gratitude to the love of the Lord that visited him. God! he says, “I will give half of my property to the poor” (Luke 19:8) Why does Zacchaeus, grateful to the Lord, turn with grateful love to the poor? This is because the rich Zacchaeus could do good precisely by doing good to his neighbor - because from the rich it is first of all required that he live not only for himself, but for the poor. Wealth was not given to the rich man for his own sake; the rich man is God’s agent, a person entrusted with making orders worthy of prudence, worthy of the will of God; His report also includes the poor. This is God's will for the rich man! The poor will be punished for lack of patience, for grumbling about poverty; a rich man will be reminded of Lazarus if he left him wounded in front of the gate, without a piece of bread, while he himself ate and drank luxuriously. “God is loving” (1 John 4:16). He wants poverty to be supported by the generosity of the rich, and the rich to find consolation in the grateful prayer of the poor. For the father of a family, the most pleasant pleasure is when he gives pleasure to his children. The same is true for the Heavenly Father. “You were hungry and gave Me food: you were thirsty and thirsty for Me: ... I was in prison and a visitor to Me. ...Lord, when do you become hungry... or thirsty... or strange...? Since you have made one and the least of these brothers of mine, you have made them together with me,” says the Lord (Matthew 25:35–40). He who is cold to the sufferings of poverty is indifferent to the groans of poverty; he vainly assures himself that he loves the Lord. If we do not love our neighbor whom we see, how can we love God whom we do not see? My neighbor bears the image of my heavenly Father: how can I not help my neighbor, how can I not share with him what I have? You, to whom God has given the means to do good to your neighbors! Do God's will for you, so that you have something to come into that life with: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sad, visit the prisoner in prison. “Blessed is he who has mercy on the poor and needy: on the day of cruelty the Lord will deliver him” (Psalm 40:2). “He who stops his ears, who will not listen to the weak, will call him, and he will not listen to him” (Prov. 21:13). I assign half of my property to the poor, Zacchaeus said to the Lord, and I keep half for myself, but not even that for myself; I hold it back in order to pay those who have been offended by me: “Whoever I have offended, I will return in fourfold” (Luke 19:8). If Zacchaeus left the other half not for himself, why doesn’t he distribute it to the poor, as he distributed the first? This is because someone else’s property cannot be disposed of at will; someone else’s property must be given to whomever it belongs to. “Honor the Lord with your righteous labors, and give Him the firstfruits of your fruits of righteousness,” says the wise king (Prov. 3:9). Zacchaeus acquired wealth as honestly as many do. One half, without dispute before conscience, is recognized as the property of his honesty, and of the other half, only the fourth share is considered to be unjustly acquired. And yet Zacchaeus also had unjust gains. And is it easy to avoid sin by acquiring wealth? Isn’t it most often acquired at the price of unrighteousness? Isn’t it more common to pay for it by insulting one’s neighbor, sometimes secretly, sometimes openly? If so, what would be the meaning of alms from such wealth? Isn't it the same as the alms of a predator? No, let the rich predator give what was taken away to the one from whom it was taken: the truth demands that the untruth be smoothed over by the satisfaction of the truth. It’s a different matter when there is no opportunity to make amends for a lie. Then turn to the help of mercy. “If I offend anyone in any way, I will repay you fourfold” (Luke 19:8). The Law of Moses said that if anyone is caught stealing: he pays four sheep for a sheep; if he himself announces the theft, then take him twice (Ex. 22:1). No one accused Zacchaeus of embezzlement. And yet he imposes on himself the penalty that was collected by law from the convicted predator. Such is repentant love! She not only pays the truth, but pays with a payment that the truth did not require; it fulfills not only the letter of the law, but also what the letter does not say. She wants to suffer in order to bring the Lord fruits worthy of pure repentance; subjects himself to punishment in order to humble himself as much as possible, to feel his guilt and untruth as deeply as possible. So the second feat of the repentant rich man should consist in the feat of grateful love. Repentance must be justified by deeds. The former cruelty towards the beggar brother must be replaced by generosity. Did you get your wealth without sin? It is necessary to punish yourself for untruth with an open consciousness of untruth. Truth demands that everything that belongs to someone else be returned according to its belonging, but love expects that the reward be not only full, but also multiplied to the point of excess. Is it a pity to part with earthly things? But if he does not part, the rich man will not see eternal blessings; moreover, he will pay with eternal torment for untruths. To hope for evangelical rewards, one must practice evangelical virtues. And the pagan loved the one who loved him, and paid the debt according to the demands of righteousness. A Christian must do more; he must reward the offended twice. May the God of grace and mercy enlighten us all to salvation and give us the strength to do saving deeds. Amen. You might be interested in: