Today’s gospel has themes that took place over 2000 years ago, but they are just as common for us today. We have to first understand what we are talking about when we are talking about tax collectors. Remember, they were condemned by the people of Jesus’ day along with prostitutes, so they are really considered the bottom of the barrel in that society. They differ greatly from the tax collectors of today, who work for the IRS, on several fronts. Therefore, the issue is not just that they were tax collectors, but how they collected taxes and for whom.

To understand this well, we need to go back to the politics of the area. Remember, in the Jewish mindset, the land of the Jews is a gift to them from God. Abraham was promised this land and Moses brought the Jews back to the land. Those simple facts are what causes all the political unrest in the Middle East today. The Palestinians claim that Israel is their land and the Jews claim the same parcel of land is their own given by God. Both claim the same parcel of land. The Jews believe also that their presence on the land is a sign of God’s favor. When they fall in disfavor with God, then they lose the land. Jesus walked the Earth during the time when that land was occupied by the Romans. This is a condition rejected by many Jews, they sought a sovereign state reminiscent of what they enjoyed under the reign of King David. One of those type of people that stood in their way were indeed tax collectors. That is because, they were taking money from the occupants of the land to fund the Roman Empire, locally and in Rome. This is anathema to the Jews. Further, these tax collectors were known for charging extra for themselves as per their arrangement with Rome, so they were looked upon as traitors to God, their fellow Jews and as crooked as well. Jesus hanging around them is problematic for the leaders of the Jews.

Notice that I said that they were dismissed along with prostitutes. The reason is obvious, in both cases a person is selling himself/herself in the eyes of Jews. This whole relationship with the Romans changes under Christianity, that is because the political state of the land is not an essential element of Christianity. So, St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans, calls for obedience and even prayers for the Emperor.

What happens in Jesus’ discussion with Zacchaeus is that the man seeks out Jesus and finds Him. In return, Jesus at Zacchaeus’ house calls him to conversion. He does not call him to abandon his role as tax collector, but to act with integrity in his service to the Romans and his role as tax collector to the residents of the land. Zacchaeus promises to do so. Here, we can see Jesus is calling for a change of heart.

This is an important lesson for us, especially here in the United States. Remember, our country is not a Catholic Country and was not founded on Catholic principles. Indeed, this area of the country was founded more on Calvinist principles which are that some people are destined by God to go to Heaven and others are Destined by God to go to Hell. The Puritans so embraced this belief that one of their tenets was to build prisons in such a way that the sun could not shine on the prisoners. There are many Christian denominations that out of hand dismiss certain people as by default destined to Hell, however, we as Catholics have never maintained that attitude. We do, however, call for a change of heart. Therefore, the more we give ourselves over to Christ the more we allow His Holy Spirit to lead us to conform ourselves to God’s will in our lives. How does that play itself out? In the eyes of the leaders of the Jews at the time of Jesus, Tax Collectors were condemned no matter what. However, Jesus is saying no to that concept. Instead He is saying that by turning our heart to God we allow God to change our hearts and the evidence of that change is through our attitudes and actions.

Therefore, if you find yourself saying that certain people are condemned no matter what, think twice, that is not Catholicism. If however, you recognize in yourself and share with others the constant need for conversion to Christ and the constant need to deepen our relationship with Christ in a way that our whole way of being changes as you through the intercession of the Holy Spirit grow in wisdom and grace, then you may understand more Christ’s point. Indeed, Paul later describes it well, where he calls for us to be open to the renewal of our minds to Christ.  Stealing is stealing, blasphemy is blasphemy, which were the sins for which tax collectors were accused, but one is not a thief automatically and one does not blaspheme automatically. Both actions call for a self-centered attitude of heart. We make a grave mistake when we dismiss as not sinful something that is sinful, but we also make a grave mistake when we say that someone is by default going to hell although he or she is struggling with trying to seek Christ and to grow in Christ.

We Catholics believe in constant conversion, hence why we have the sacrament of reconciliation and why we acknowledge our sinfulness at the beginning of every mass. When we feel we are no longer in need of conversion we are actually lost and when we feel we that we cannot be saved, we are lost, both are actually sins against the Holy Spirit because they result closing oneself off to grace.

The pharisees looked upon the tax collectors as beyond hope.  Jesus looked at them as being in need of grace. With whom do we stand, with the pharisees or with Christ? Or do we stand with Zaccheus seeking Christ and opening ourselves to the grace of conversion in every aspect of our being?

God Bless You,

Fr. Robert J. Carr
Fr. Carr is an alliance member of the New Song Community (Canção Nova). He is the pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Somerville, MA and is the editor of this blog. He is also the author of a blog directed specifically to priests. That can be found at thesacramentallife.blogspot.com

Photo Credit all via: bigstockphoto.com

Top Rusak

Middle: Ni Der Lander

Bottom: Le Loft 1911

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