Scripture Engagement

There are some shocking aspects to this story - see below. Zacchaeus was a tax collector and was considered to be a 'notorious sinner' (v7 - see yesterday's blog) because he was betraying his own people, the Jews, by collecting taxes for the occupying state, the Romans. Judea was part of the Roman empire and was ruled by a puppet leader. Not only that, the tax collectors were mostly corrupt, collecting more than necessary and keeping the difference to feather their own nest (3:12-13). This did not go down well with Jewish nationalists who had quite an influence on the ordinary person on the street.  The other slightly shocking statement is by Jesus. He calls Zacchaeus 'a true son of Abraham' in other words a true Israelite or Semite. One who follows God in the way the ancestor Abraham did. Surely a true Israelite would be a nationalist, not a repentant sinner? Not so, says Jesus. It's not those who try and build a political kingdom who get his approval, b...

It used to be 'sin'. Preachers regularly preached against it. You've probably heard the story of the American President known as silent Cal. After church he was once asked to explain the topic of a minister's sermon. 'Sin' he replied, lapsing back into silence. 'What did he say?' asked the enquirer. 'He said he was agin it,' said the President. These days preachers don't preach much against sin. This may partly be to a change in theology. Some churches have gone down the self fulfilment avenue. The Holy Spirit is there to help you realise your wildest dreams. Whatever you have on your top list of things you've always wanted to achieve, He is there to help you. Alternatively (and more encouragingly), some speakers avoid the word because it has dropped out of the ordinary vocabulary of most folk. If you eat a large piece of chocolate cake your best friends might call you a 'sinner'. Otherwise people have little idea what it m...