Jesus Called Zacchaeus – About Identity (Luke 19:1-10)

Jesus Called Zacchaeus – About Identity

 

Luke 19:1-10

 

There is the word ‘identity.’ This term is used often in psychology or sociology especially in connection to the youth. Identity can be defined as an individual’s subjective idea or belief about ‘who I am.’ one’s identity may have a great influence on the person’s decisions on ‘how to live.’ For example, A Korean immigrant living in the U.S. may hold onto his old identity as ‘a Korean,’ or accept the new identity as ‘an American.’ It is a matter of course that how he views himself would lead him to quite a different life. It is not an easy question what identity is desirable to me. The family in Korea will urge me not to forget my roots, but friends in America will encourage me to accept the new lifestyle and learn the new language. Faced with such conflicting external expectations, young people in immigrant families often experience an identity crisis.

 

In today’s passage as well, we can see conflict of identity. For Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector and a rich man in Jericho, people called him ‘sinner’ (v. 7). But Jesus called him ‘a son of Abraham’ (9) and ‘what was lost’ (10). Salvation described in the Bible can be explained in many different ways, but based on today’s passage, we can say that salvation is ‘the recovery of true identity.’ In other words, salvation is “finding the answer to the question ‘Who am I?’ before God.” Moreover, salvation is accepting the new identity by faith and living it with joy. In fact, the recovery of identity is the key of the gospel. The gospel of Jesus declares that we are no longer slaves but free people and God’s children. Galatians 4:3-7 says: “So also, when we were under-age, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”

 

Zacchaeus, the main character of today’s passage, was a chief tax collector and a rich man in the City of Jericho. It is said that, in the Jewish society during Jesus’ days, the tax collectors collected taxes from their own people on behalf of the Roman oppressors, and they often levied more than the amount due in order to fill their own pockets. Zacchaeus was the chief among such tax collectors, and moreover, Jericho, the city under his jurisdiction, was the most prosperous business center in the region. He is also introduced as a ‘wealthy man.’ Probably he had been amassing a great fortune through many illegal practices like other tax collectors. Zacchaeus as such was branded as ‘a sinner.’ Zacchaeus was, on the one hand, envied for his high social position and wealth, and on the other hand, despised as a sinner. Nobody called him ‘Zacchaeus.’ There was not a person named Zacchaeus. He was “a wealthy tax collector” or “a despised sinner.” one day, Jesus was passing through the city Jericho. Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was with his own eyes, but he could not because Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd and he was a short man. Then, he ran ahead on the way Jesus was coming, and climbed up a sycamore-fig tree by the road. When Jesus came where Zacchaeus was, he looked up and said to him, “‘Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”

 

Approaching Zacchaeus on a tree, Jesus calls him, “Zacchaeus!” In my memory, there is a movie scene overlapping with Zacchaeus on a sycamore-fig tree. It is in The Sound of Music, one of the best classic musical films. A number of children climbed up trees, singing, and shouting, and laughing. They were the seven children of Captain Georg Von Trapp, and they, led by new governess Maria, were having a joyful time in the fields, mountains, rivers, and streets. Captain Von Trapp raised his children through strict military discipline. He dressed them in uniform, and called the children not by name but by a whistle signal assigned to each of them. Maria, who was actually a nun, is astonished by the captain’s behavior, and says, “A whistle is for dogs or cats or other animals but not for children.” She calls the children by name. Maria undresses the children of the uniform, and instead, makes ‘easy-to-move’ clothes for them using curtain fabric. Now the children became ‘children.’ Liesl became ‘Liesl,’ and Friedrich became ‘Friedrich,’ and Brigitta became ‘Brigitta,’ and Gretl became ‘Gretl.’ In the ‘easy-to-move’ clothes, the children go out and enjoy freedom, hanging around and singing and dancing in the streets, mountains, fields, and rivers. They also climb tree roadside. The captain, on his way home with his friends, sees the children on the trees and notices that they are his, but in front of his company, he pretends not to know them and calls them ‘local urchins.’

 

Jesus calls us by name. This means that the Lord knows me deeply and wants to have a personal relationship with me. This relationship is that of “You and I,” and that of “Love.” Zacchaeus wanted to see “who Jesus is,” and for this, he climbed a tree. Considering his social position as a wealthy tax collector as well as his bad reputation as ‘a sinner,’ it must have been very embarrassing for Zacchaeus to climb up a tree and draw the attention of the large crowd. Finding short Zacchaeus barely clinging on a branch, people might have pointed and laughed at him scornfully. Despite people’s mocking eyes, Zacchaeus climbed up high on the tree. It was only for this reason: He wanted to see “who Jesus is.” Knowing Zacchaeus’ desire, Jesus came to him. Looking up him, Jesus called his name and said, “Come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” This word shows us what is “the starting point for the recovery of identity.” Faced with the question, “Who am I?” we almost always think about “I.” We ponder over my origin, my background, my experiences and abilities, my successes and failures, and so on. However, none of these is a starting point for the recovery of identity. The starting point for the recovery of identity is the question “Who is Jesus?” only this question is the first step toward the answer to the question “Who am I?” It is because only Jesus knows the answer to the question “Who am I?” and he reveals that to us. When we have a desire to know the Lord, he never disappoints us. Even when I am lost unnoticeable among a large crowd, even when I am covered with thick layers of sins, even when I have a large scarlet letter on the chest, it doesn’t matter. Jesus detects my heart toward him with ultra-super-high sensitivity, and responds to it with no possibility of failure.

 

There are many factors influencing an individual’s development of identity, and one of them is “social identity.” Social identity is an identity imposed or demanded by the person’s family, community, or state. As mentioned above, my family in Korea wants me to keep my roots as a Korean, but my friends in America want me to be more ‘one of them.’ Captain Von Trapp forced his children to live the life of a solider through military discipline. The Jews, who were nationalistic and legalistic, had a large variety of rules and regulations to maintain the single united community, and stigmatized anyone violating the rules with the evil identity of “sinner.” Whether I want it or not, the world dictates, demands, and defines “who I am” in many ways. As Jesus called Zacchaeus and went with him to his house, people began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” They also had been following Jesus and wanted to see him, but when Jesus accepted ‘sinner’ Zacchaeus and entered his house, they changed their attitude toward the Lord. To them, not only Zacchaeus but also Jesus the Lord was merely “under their rules.” Whoever he/she was, they were ready to brand anybody violating the rules as ‘a sinner.’ Despite such muttering and mocking, Jesus entered and stayed at Zacchaeus’ house. Figuratively speaking, like Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore-fig free in order to see Jesus, Jesus also climbed a tree to see Zacchaeus. Going further, Jesus later climbed a cross in order to be like Zacchaeus and save him.

 

When people were muttering on what Jesus was doing for ‘sinner’ Zacchaeus, Jesus said a word for Zacchaeus and for himself: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” This word tells Zacchaeus the answer to the question “Who am I?” According to the Lord’s saying, he is ‘what was lost,’ and ‘a son of Abraham.’ People called Zacchaeus ‘a sinner’ but Jesus called him ‘what was lost.’ ‘What was lost’ implies that it is extremely valuable. Moreover, it suggests the hope of recovery. Of course, “what is lost” means that “what is lost by God.” To God, Zacchaeus is an extremely precious soul, who has been lost and for the recovery of whom God sent His Son Jesus. Jesus declared that Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham. This means that he is no longer ‘a slave of sin’ but is God’s child and a free man.

 

Out of his joy of meeting the Lord, Zacchaeus said to Jesus: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” This word shows that Zacchaeus’ inner person had been changed completely. Jesus’ love changed him. In The Sound of Music, Captain Von Trapp and governess Maria fall in love with each other, and after many twists and turns, they come to marry. When the two persons confessed their love face to face, Captain asked Maria when she began to love him. In the movie, there are several thrilling moments when the hidden emotion is leaking out on the blushing face. But Maria’s answer was an unexpected one. It was when the captain was whistling in front of his children, that is, when Maria met the captain for the first time. The person whom Maria met at that time was not a stern Navy captain in uniform, not a rich man with a huge mansion, not a romantic gentleman playing the guitar and singing Edelweiss sweetly. The person whom Maria met at that time was just ‘Georg Von Trapp.’ Maria saw his eyes and read his heart through the eyes. Her love began in this way. This is also how Jesus loved Zacchaeus. People saw his job, his wealth, and his sin. However, Jesus saw his eyes and listened to the crying of his heart. Then, the Lord dwelled in his house and in his heart as his salvation. God and Zacchaeus restored their love relationship as “Father and son,” and as “You and I.”

 

My true identity is found only before God. only when we meet Jesus and recover our identity as “God’s child” through the grace of the Lord, we become free in the true sense. The life of a free person is “love” and “Joy.” There is no rule against the love and the joy. Therefore, it is a truly happy life. I pray that each of us find who Jesus is, and find who I am in the Lord.