All the Saints – Even Zacchaeus
Can be listened to here
Gate Pa – Year C 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time, Pentecost
24
Readings:
Psalm Psalm: 149
First Reading: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:11-23
Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
What I want to say:
Was Zacchaeus already giving
half his income to the poor, or was he going to give half his income because of
what Jesus says to him. Both work. If he
was already, then the issue is not that he was corrupt – as we assume, but that
those he lived among assumed he was corrupt and a sinner – like we still do and
Jesus saw who he really was. How do our assumptions blind us to the saints
living around us?
On All Saints/All Souls – how
do we honour those we grieve?
What I want to happen:
People to face their own assumptions about people, and how
that colours how they live in honour to those they grieve.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
One things really like about Anglicanism, is that
we have kept out Saints
seems to me many Protestant churches forgotten
the saints
many
Anglicans have as well
officially we have kept them
remember
them
saints important
inspire
us with their lives
inspire
us with their faith
inspire
us with their humility
selfless serving those lived among.
remind
us that we are part of something much bigger
than us gathered here this morning
bigger than this parish
this
Diocese
even
Anglican church world wide
their story is part of our story
our story is continuation of their
story
honouring the saints helps give perspective to
what we are experiencing.
Throughout the year we are invited remember
whole bunch people we call saints
some
have that official title
Pope
continues to recognise people with that
title – latest being Mother, now Saint Theresa of Calcutta.
we
also remember number people who we call saint
Saints part of British heritage like
Florence Nightingale
Elizabeth Fry
Saints who are part of our story
here in Aotearoa
Suzanne
Aubert
Wiremu
Tamihana Tarapipi
Tarore
of Waharoa
Saints associated with our Diocese
and with here
Piripi
Taumata-a-Kura
Henare
Wiremu Taratoa
Heni
Te Kiri Karamu
Tuesday 1st November is All Saints
so today – closest Sunday – we remember all
Saints
those
in our calendar
those
not calendar
those
known only to God
Wednesday is All Souls
day
remember all those died in faith
day
invited remember those we love who have died
especially,
but not solely those died in last year
2. Zacchaeus
Reading heard is story of Zacchaeus
well
known story
rich tax collector – or publican
Jesus coming through Jericho on his way up to Jerusalem
end
of story is getting really close
too short to see
so risks huge humiliation
climbs
tree with some boys
not
what person honour or social standing should do
just
see this Jesus
Jesus shocks everyone
says to him
“"Zacchaeus,
hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home."
This is exactly the
kind of thing that gets Jesus into trouble
that puts him offside with
leadership
and Pharisees
will lead very shortly in this story
to his death on cross
Don’t eat with
sinners
Don’t eat with Roman collaborators
This man is clearly
both –
Message says – “Everyone
who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he
have getting cozy with this crook?"
But is he
really a crook?
3. Future tense?
All depends on how
we interpret the next part of the story
NRSV translates next part as
“Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and
if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as
much.”"
Zacchaeus is crook
for his crazy act
of claiming the tree
Jesus offers God’s forgiveness
He responds to this unsolicited
offer of grace and forgiveness by this astounding offer give away half his
wealth to the poor
refund 4x anyone he or those work
for him have defrauded
contrast that to ruler/rich
man who just before this story
came to Jesus and asked what he
needed to do to inherit internal life
told give away his wealth to the
poor and follow Jesus
Zacchaeus seems
much less attached to his wealth
on his way to becoming an camel unloading
his goods to enter through the eye of a needle.
Great piece of
theology in this reading
God forgives us
already
It is up to us how
to respond.
Zacchaeus offers us
model how we might respond.
4. Present tense
Message however offers this translation
“Zacchaeus
just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master,
I give away half my income to the poor—and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four
times the damages."”
did you hear the
difference
NRSV is in future
tense – I will (implied –in response to your grace and generosity)
this is – I am
already giving ….
more in line with
Greek – which is in present tense?
and KJV and RSV – present tense
stop and think about
that for a moment
Zacchaeus is not responding to Jesus’
invitation to host him in his house
he is protesting his lack of
corruption
yes he is a publican/tax collector –
so yes he is a Roman collaborator
yes he is wealthy
but not corrupt
more than that - he fulfils the requirements of the law
he is not a sinner
he gives half of his income away to
the poor
refunds those defrauded 4x
those
he defrauds
Message
carries on - 9 Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is:
Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! 10 For the Son of Man came to find
and restore the lost."
in this reading
Jesus is not
forgiving sins
not offering grace
simply seeing what
everyone else fails to see
devout man of faith
who happens to be a roman collaborator
while everyone else
including most of us
just see a sinner
of course he is a sinner
he has to be
he is the chief tax
collector/publican
he is rich
he must have defrauded people
how else could he be wealthy?
we assume
they assumed
Jesus saw him for who he truly is
son
of Abraham
sees
us for who we truly are
even
when others can’t see it
even
when we can’t see it ourselves
5. Zacchaeus the publican
2 different ways of understanding the same
story
both equally valid
both offer great theology
some translators have gone with one reading
some with other
leave it to you to choose.
tradition tells us that that is not end of
story of Zacchaeus
some
traditions say that Zacchaeus is Matthias of books Acts
who became the 12th Apostle
to replace Judas
some
say that Zacchaeus the publican
became the first bishop of Caesarea
today we remember little known saint
Zacchaeus the publican.
6. Today
today we remember all saints of God,
great saints,
little saint,
nameless ones who have lived their faith
today also we remember saints of God we have
known and loved
who helped shape who we are today
whose passing we remember and mark
today is a day to give thanks and remember
honouring
those gone before us
recognise
the influence they have had on our lives
acknowledge
their part that played in shaping who we are
Invite us take some time in silence to
remember
give
thanks
Greatest way honour them is how we live our
lives
how we pass on that legacy to others
take time
give thanks
when ready
invite you to light candle
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