Tuesday 20 December 2011

JESUS AND THE TAX GATHERERS

Luke 19

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “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.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

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Matthew 9

The Calling of Matthew
9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

6 comments:

Zoompad said...

The tax gatherers were despised by most people in Jesus's time, just as they are today.

Some people might be surprised about me posting this, but as I have explained many many times, I am not an anachist, I am a Christian.

Jesus was not an anachist, but he was mistaken for one. Jesus talked about a new system, a new way of doing things. But His way was never ever about siezing power, he just wanted people to learn to care about each other.

Some people think that this world is overcrowded, and they worry that we might run out of space and resources. I used to worry about that as well. But that is forgetting that God created this planet, and us. We are part of God's creation.

Henry George said this, in Chapter 8 of his book Social Problems:

Did you ever see a pail of swill given to a pen of hungry hogs? That is human society as it is.

[05] Did you ever see a company of well-bred men and women sitting down to a good dinner, without scrambling, or jostling, or gluttony, each, knowing that his own appetite will be satisfied, deferring to and helping the others? That is human society as it might be.

[06] "Devil catch the hindmost" is the motto of our so-called civilized society today. We learn early to "take care of No.1," lest No.1 should suffer; we learn early to grasp from others that we may not want ourselves. The fear of poverty makes us admire great wealth; and so habits of greed are formed, and we behold the pitiable spectacle of men who have already more than they can by any possibility use, toiling, striving, grasping to add to their store up to the very verge of the grave — that grave which, whatever else it may mean, does certainly mean the parting with all earthly possessions however great they be.

[07] In vain, in gorgeous churches, on the appointed Sunday, is the parable of Dives and Lazarus read. What can it mean in churches where Dives would be welcomed and Lazarus shown the door? In vain may the preacher preach of the vanity of riches, while poverty engulfs the hindmost. But the mad struggle would cease when the fear of poverty had vanished. Then, and not till then, will a truly Christian civilization become possible.

[08] And may not this be?

[09] We are so accustomed to poverty that even in the most advanced countries we regard it as the natural lot of the great masses of the people; that we take it as a matter of course that even in our highest civilization large classes should want the necessaries of healthful life, and the vast majority should only get a poor and pinched living by the hardest toll. There are professors of political economy who teach that this condition of things is the result of social laws of which it is idle to complain! There are ministers of religion who preach that this is the condition which an all-wise, all-powerful Creator intended for his children! If an architect were to build a theater so that not more than one-tenth of the audience could see and hear, we would call him a bungler and a botch. If a man were to give a feast and provide so little food that nine tenths of his guests must go away hungry, we would call him a fool, or worse. Yet so accustomed are we to poverty, that even the preachers of what passes for Christianity tell us that the great Architect of the Universe, to whose infinite skill all nature testifies, has made such a botch job of this world that the vast majority of the human creatures whom he has called into it are condemned by the conditions he has imposed to want, suffering, and brutalizing toil that gives no opportunity for the development of mental powers — must pass their lives in a hard struggle to merely live!

Zoompad said...

so accustomed are we to poverty, that even the preachers of what passes for Christianity tell us that the great Architect of the Universe, to whose infinite skill all nature testifies, has made such a botch job of this world that the vast majority of the human creatures whom he has called into it are condemned by the conditions he has imposed to want, suffering, and brutalizing toil that gives no opportunity for the development of mental powers — must pass their lives in a hard struggle to merely live!

Zoompad said...

I had a really lovely Christian landlord a few years ago, when I lived in Handsworth. Sometimes, when he came to collect the rent money, we would spend a few moments praying together. He was such a kind man, I feel blessed that God puts such people into our lives.

I remember, he said this many times, we don't always ask God to give us the things we need. If we have needs we should ask God to help us. Sometimes, no matter how hard we work, we cannot get the thing we need, and need God's help. He taught me how to pray, and I have never forgotten.

God bless you, wherever you are, Mr Morrison.

Zoompad said...

I have met some very wicked men in my lifetime, and I have also met some really lovely men.

Jesus mixed with all sorts of people. The Pharasees criticised him for that, they accused him of being a drunkard.

Jesus paid his taxes, even though he was God made flesh. Jesus led by example.

I do not agree with the movement of challenging authority just because you can, I think it is mischievous. I do believe that corruption and unrighteaouness needs to be challenged, of course I do! But this idea that every politician and judge and lawyer and police officer and social worker is evil is wrong!

Jesus did not condemn Zaccheaus of being evil for being a tax gatherer. If Zaccheaus had been overcharging people or fiddling in any way then I am quite sure Jesus would have had sharp words for him!

Zoompad said...

There are some very mischievous and misguided individuals who are plotting the collapse of our government and political system and administration.

They seem benign, they seem to be against child abuse, but when you look closely at them, they have a hidden agenda.

I was tricked by some of these people. But they all turned on me, because I found out about Richard Gardner and Ralph Underwager. I found out because I was crying at the computer, begging Jesus to help me, while I was being dragged through the seccret family courts, and Jesus felt sorry seeing me cryi9ng and showed me all about Gardner and Underwager. Straight away I knew that Jesus had given me the key to a door.

Those bad men were so angry, they attacked me on Mothers for Justice for 2 years. I felt like giving in a few times but the Lord gave me strength, he helped me and led me.

Not all the people who I met in the secret family courts were evil. In fact, some of them I thank God for. I met at least one righteaous judge and several decent lawyers and social workers.

Zoompad said...

My eyes are still a bit wonky, thats why I make silly typos