Once again we are surprised to learn that a story from Scripture doesn’t exactly say what we THOUGHT it said, and a better truth is revealed. The crowds grumble at Jesus’ self-invitation to stay with Zacchaeus, and their righteous indignation isn’t without cause. Tax collectors were despised by their fellow Judeans for extorting money and colluding with the empire. They were seen as traitors and thieves. Zach was a chief tax collector, so there was no love for him in his city. But what if there’s MORE to Zach than meets the eye? What if we’ve been doing him dirty all these years?
What does it mean to have righteous anger and call out oppression, while also following Jesus’ example of demonstrating mercy and understanding? Not an easy thing to balance. But in our deeply polarized world, the gospel calls us to navigate this often challenging dichotomy.
This teaching was preached at Knox Presbyterian Church in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, on this 5th Sunday in LENT April 6th, 2025by The Reverend Jacquelyn Foxall.
Associated Scripture: Gospel of Luke 19:1-10
Everything [in] Between: “Righteousness & Mercy”| Rev. Jacqui Foxall
