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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, but those who love him (Jesus) from the heart and show it in their actions. We, Westerners, get the heart bit, but aren't so good at the actions. A true Israelite would know better.

'Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name.“Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.”'
  1. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.

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