Breaking the Word

  He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.  For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." (Lk 19:1-10)

Zacchaeus from Jericho was a wealthy man; he was a chief tax collector. Tax collectors by nature were after money. Tax collectors made money on the side, in addition to their legitimate collections. Since he was the chief tax collector he also made money from the tax collectors working under him. So nobody liked him, in fact every despised him. Wherever money changes hands, the hands all too easily get dirty. Whenever money speaks then honesty, respect and human dignity are silenced.

This Zacchaeus, who was greedy and after money, was inquisitive about Jesus. Jesus looks through him and beyond his sickened heart. Jesus once again finds himself relaxing with the wrong sort of people. Zaccaeus had no respect for people and human dignity was not the type of thing that he cared for. Jesus respected him and gives him the dignity that he should have.

There is repentance in the person. Repentance is not just the change of heart. In the right sense of the word, here repentance means restoration. Zacchaeus does so lavishly. More than just restoring the wrong things that he had done he begins to have respect for the poor (half of his wealth to the poor) and give fourfold the people whom he has cheated (values human dignity). Man is precious than money including Zacchaeus.

 Now as he approached Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging, and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening. They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by." He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!" The people walking in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent, but he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me!" Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. (Lk 18:35-43)

The man sitting by the roadside and begging was blind. As a blind man he inquired about the reason for the crowd and as soon as he was told that it was Jesus he asked Jesus to have mercy on him. So the news about Jesus had reached even to the blind people. This blind man not seen Jesus and his doing yet the information about him he had received. He wanted to make this information into an experience. He wanted to make it personal.

The crowd that was there rebuked him. Yes the work of the crowd is to prevent another to have an experience or the experience that they have had should not be shared by the other. The crowd tends to silence the other (individual). When an individual does not fall in line with the crowd physically (like in the case of the blind man) psychologically or emotionally) then the crowd silences the individual.

The blind man keeps calling on Jesus. The individual’s keeps his interest for the experience of Jesus and here, Jesus also moves towards the individual. Both the blind man and Jesus sideline the crowd. They do not give importance to the crowd. Jesus goes after the individual (like in the case of Zacchaeus). Jesus does not look at a crowd but for him even a crowd is a gathering of individuals. He deals with them as individuals.