Sacrificial sincerity

This week's verses are Luke:19:1-10:

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. Now a man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to get a look at Jesus, but being a short man he could not see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, because Jesus was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today.” So he came down quickly and welcomed Jesus joyfully. And when the people saw it, they all complained, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this household, because he too is a son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

These verses follow a bit on last week's verses. God was talking about useless sacrifices then, but now he rewards a righteous sacrifice. Where the people in Malachi were just going through the motions and not taking their penitence seriously, Zacchaeus was the genuine article. 

Zacchaeus was a dirty, traitorous tax collector. Tax collectors were collaborators with the Roman regime, who extorted their countrymen for the taxes the empire imposed, plus a bit of "gravy" for themselves. They were like a cross between Mafia henchmen and the Vichy regime in occupied France. They were the epitome of bad character. They were evil.

This is why the people got angry when Jesus went to go eat with him. Imagine living in occupied France, and Jesus shows up, and you're all trying to get a piece of him, but the guy he chooses is the local thug, who was a toady for the Nazis. You'd probably be furious! Of all the deserving people he could have picked, he picked the scoundrel instead!

You have to wonder if Zacchaeus knew he was scum too. Why else would he have been so excited when Jesus gave him a chance? He was probably shocked that Jesus didn't say "Zacchaeus, quit wasting your time up there. You're going to Hell!" But he didn't. He offered Zacchaeus honor, and a relationship!

Zacchaeus immediately makes moves to set things right. Or more than right. He gives half of his net worth to the poor. (Who do you know who has ever done that?) The poor aren't even his problem! And he offers a 400% payment to anyone who he has cheated. What court of law would ever award quadruple damages to a plaintiff?

What Zacchaeus is doing isn't justice -- it's sacrifice. He's making a statement that he is willing to experience great loss in order to glorify Jesus and recognize what he has done. Going through the motions would be like what a company does when they cheat you out of a hundred dollars and give you a five dollar coupon as recognition of how deeply sorry they are for your inconvenience. Zacchaeus took a loss.

It's a real question to ponder. What sort of experience would make you willing to give up more than half of what you have, on the spot? Why was Zacchaeus' experience so intense for him, compared to how people usually react to encountering Jesus?

Jesus calls him a Son of Abraham. In other words, he shares Abraham's nature. That's a massive compliment! Compare that to what God said about the people from last week. Zacchaeus' sacrifice was a genuine sacrifice, and God honored it.

In your devotion, are you more like the people from last week, or more like Zacchaeus? The answer to that question may reveal how sincere you are in your faith. If the answer is "not very," then follow Zacchaeus' example and make an effort to see God and catch his attention. Maybe he what he says next will change the direction of your life.