Since becoming a grandparent, I have been inundated with children’s movies . . . I have seen them all! One thing that I have noticed about children’s movies is that there is a pattern that keeps the kids coming back for more. It is a simple pattern . . . make one character despicable . . . someone no one likes . . . and then make that character have a metamorphosis—a major change and become a redeemable and loveable character. Someone saved! Kids eat this up. Apparently, we adults do too.
One movie that I have enjoyed is Despicable Me. Despicable Me is about Gru. Gru is a man who delights in all things wicked. He is a supervillain. He is a “bad” guy looking to do “bad” things. With him are his hundreds of minions . . . little yellow twinkie-like characters who assist with his dirty work. In the original movie Gru adopts three little girls to use in stealing a shrink ray from his rival. The story involves how these three little girls transform Gru from a despicable person into a loving and caring individual who learns to love them. As with all children’s stories and movies there is a happy ending as Gru changes.
That scenario should sound familiar because we heard it just this morning in our scripture reading. Zacchaeus! From bad to good we see a transformation in the story we heard. Zacchaeus is a bad guy . . . he is a tax collector, but not just any tax collector—he is a chief tax collector. Right there is enough to make him despicable in the eyes of the people. He is also rich . . . very rich. It was a wealth that the people assumed he made off the backs of their hard labor and the force of the Roman government.
Zacchaeus is a despicable character. Yet by the end of the story, he comes out smelling like a rose.
Despised he probably could not get a good place along the parade route to get a view of Jesus. Add to the fact that he was short . . . well, he had to figure out some way to get a good view of Jesus . . . thus, he climbs up into a tree. This is not something rich people do. Rich people do not climb trees. Now not only is he despicable, but he is also seen as foolish and immodest by the people gathered. But he does it anyways because he wants to see this man whom all the people have been talking about.
Out of all the people milling around Jesus picks Zacchaeus to host him in his home.
Well . . . the people are floored at what they are hearing and witnessing. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” They couldn’t believe it! A sinner . . . a despicable one at that! Of all the people Jesus could have picked and honored he chose the worse one of all. Jesus honors Zacchaeus and his foolish behavior by announcing he will eat with him. Eating with anyone was a sign of social approval.
But the crowd disapproves. Jesus doesn’t care as he proclaims: “Today salvation has come to this house . . . for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” And according to the popular understanding we see Zacchaeus repent, change his ways, and become a “good” guy. In this understanding of this story, it is a perfect kid’s movie. Good to bad with a happy ending.
But that is not “real” life. Reality is somewhere between “good” and “bad” . . . “happy” and “sad” . . . between a laugh and a tear. That is why I like the Despicable Me movies . . . in the subsequent flood of sequels of the movie, despite the transformation of Gru, he cannot quite make a complete transformation. There are parts of him that are still “despicable”. There are parts of him that lean towards the wicked . . . and he just can’t help it. That is who he is. It just leaks out from time to time.
So, it is for Zacchaeus. He is who he is . . . and the people have it right. He is a “sinner’. We all are. That is a part of who we are. We make mistakes. We forget. We sin. And yet God still loves us.
If you read the story closely, Zacchaeus rises to the occasion of the accusations against him as being a despicable person by pointing out the good works he already does. These are not works of promise he makes of how he is going to change his behavior . . . no! These are things that he is already doing. He says: “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.” Nowhere in this story is there any mention of repentance . . . these are things that he is already doing. Zacchaeus is not promising to change his behavior, he is pointing out that he is already doing.
The most reliable translation of verses 7 and 8 comes from The Message:
Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”
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.”
This, then, is what Jesus does . . . he acknowledges Zacchaeus’ good works and solidifies his honoring of Zacchaeus by declaring that salvation has come to his house, and that Zacchaeus is indeed “one of us,” a son of Abraham. With this Jesus restores Zacchaeus into the social fabric of Jewish life in the community.
Through it all, Zacchaeus remains himself. He does not renounce his occupation as a chief tax collector. Like all of us, Zacchaeus remains compromised, impure, sinning.
In understanding salvation, we need to come to the understanding that salvation is not an “end state”. It is not a “once and done” event. It is not arriving at or being given the state of perfection. Salvation is the process, the healing and reconciling that is needed for creating right relationships. Relationships in which compromised, impure, and sinful people—like us—can live within, and in response to, and toward, the Kingdom of God. The salvation that comes to Zacchaeus is the restoring of his right relationship within his community.
Like last Sunday’s story, it is the attitude of the crowd that is being challenged by Jesus. When Jesus declares that salvation has come to Zacchaeus’ house, he is in effect also declaring that healing or salvation has also come to the crowd since it is Zacchaeus’ relationship with them that is being healed. It opens the door for them to see the contradiction of their assumptions to what is actually taking place. Zacchaeus is welcomed. . . warts and all . . . by Jesus despite how despicable others see him. Jesus knows that it is a journey, and that Zacchaeus is well on that journey.
We are who we are in the eyes of others and in the eyes of God. Those views of us do not always line up to make a perfect picture. Like Zacchaeus we are sinners . . . we are despicable. Yet God still loves us. Still wants to work with us. Desires us to take our place at the table and be family. God cheers us on. Salvation is that journey towards creating those relationships that bring us together in love . . . that establishes our community . . . that realizes the Kingdom of God in this time and place. It is always a work in progress.
God cheers us on! God cheers us on no matter how despicable we might be. Amen.
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