Lucas 19

Lucas 19

Trapp writes that Zaccheus "should by his name have been a puritan (in the best sense), but he was an arch-publican, a public sinner, not simple, but subtle, a griping extortioner, a rich but wretched sycophant.” Play this children's song (very Scriptural!) - Zaccheus was a Wee Little Man (another vocal) Ray Pritchard - Zaccheus has three strikes against him. Number one, he was a tax collector. Tax collectors back then weren’t liked any better than tax collectors are liked today. Number two, he was a crook and a cheat as we will find out later in the story. Number three, he was working for the hated Roman empire. So we have a crooked tax collector working for the enemy. They hated his guts. They couldn’t stand the sight of him. He represented everything that was wrong and bad about life as they knew it. When they saw Zaccheus coming, the people of Jericho wanted to get away because they didn’t like the sight of this man. The system worked like this: Rome would say to a “District Commissioner” like Zaccheus, “We want you to collect taxes of such-and-such amount, and send that amount to us.” So the Romans would assign the amount and the tax collector would set about collecting that amount. But there was one hitch: Most of the “District Commissioners” would collect more than the designated amount–sending this amount to Rome and putting the rest in their pockets. Thus incurring the wrath and hatred and displeasure of everyone in the town. Which is why Zaccheus is wealthy and rich and despised and hated. Zaccheus has learned the hard way one of the most basic lessons of life: You can be rich and not be happy. You can be wealthy and not be loved. You can be successful and not be satisfied. Lesson Number one. What money can’t buy. Zaccheus had learned it well. (Zaccheus Anonymous) He was a chief tax collector (754)(architelones from archi = chief, first in rank or degree + telones = tax collector) is found only here and indicates Zaccheus had other telones who were under him. This would explain Luke's addition that he was rich for he likely received part of income from these underlings. Luke mentions tax collectors six times in his Gospel and the present passage is the last one - Lk 3:12+; Lk 5:27-32+; Lk 7:29-34+; Lk 15:1+; Lk 18:10-13+. One of the main trade routes came down the western side of the Jordan Rive and through Jericho to Bethany and Jerusalem. Zacchaeus as chief tax collector was over the entire tax district of Jericho which was one of the three main Palestinian tax offices, the other two being located at Caesarea and Capernaum. Zaccheus was at the top of the pyramid, so to speak. Tax collector (publican) (5057)(telones from telos = tax + onéomai = to buy) means a reaper of the taxes or customs who in turn paid the Roman government a sum for the privilege of collecting taxes in a district. Those who purchased rights to collect taxes for the Romans were chiefly of the equestrian order (belonging to the wealthy class known as the equites) and were of a higher class because they rode horses, or they were at least persons of wealth and rank like Zacchaeus, who had subcontractors or employed agents who collected the taxes and customs at the gates of cities, in seaports, on public ways and bridges. They were called publicans and were objects of hatred and detestation so that none but persons of worthless character were likely to be found in this employment. So now coming on the scene is not just a publican but the chief publican! Think of the mafia which always has a head man! Undoubtedly Zaccheus had a bad reputation, since the tax collecting system was open to abuse and extortion was a common practice.