My college friend Amelia is well-off by any standard. Her parents hired a circus for her fifth birthday party. Her mother has china and place settings for one hundred people. Her father is a doctor who made a breakthrough discovery that helped millions and made a fortune for his family. There are libraries named after him on multiple college campuses.
On the surface, she might seem to be just like Zacchaeus. One of the 1% who has been aloof to the needs and concerns of the other 99%.
In our gospel today, we hear of Jesus’ encounter with the rich tax collector, Zacchaeus. And at first we all think we know where this story is going. We know what Jesus thought of the rich. He so often spoke critically or disparagingly of them. We might be expecting Jesus to be critical of Zacchaeus, to chide him for the wealth he has amassed. Remember how he chided the rich man who did not wish to give up his possessions to inherit eternal life? Think of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man that shows us the perils of ignoring those around us who are in need.
But the next sentence in our reading for today gives us a clue that this story might not just be a story about criticizing the wealthy. As we read on, we realize that Zacchaeus was looking for Jesus. Zacchaeus was not just your average rich man who was content as he was. He had heard about Jesus. What we see in Zacchaeus is the stirring of the Holy Spirit and the desire to do things differently. Jesus recognized this stirring in Zacchaeus and went to his house. As usual, the fact that Jesus broke the rules and went to eat with someone who was not well liked by society upset the crowd. Zacchaeus was, after all, a tax collector who had made his money on the backs of his own people. He was not well liked by those around him. Perhaps they were jealous — who wouldn’t want Jesus to come for dinner? Of course, they did not recognize what Jesus was beginning to recognize — that Zacchaeus was about to make a change in his life.
Amazingly we get to that transformation rather quickly, for Zacchaeus immediately makes a promise: "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Zacchaeus was transforming his life. He was not going to be a rich man who hoarded what he had or ignored the needs of those around him. He was a rich man who was going to be a model of humility and generosity.
Just like Zacchaeus, my friend Amelia is not what she might seem on the surface. While she was born into wealth, there were times when she had to go without. Her parents divorced when she was a teenager, and sadly it was a long and bitter divorce. For a time all her mother’s assets were frozen and she and her mother were locked out of their house. Amelia and her mother spent months living in a Howard Johnson’s motel room living as cheaply as they could, for they had no idea how long it would be before they could go home again. Thankfully things were resolved, Amelia was given a wonderful education, and she has personal financial security.
The gift that Amelia has given me is an example of what it means to live faithfully with the resources we have been given. While Amelia has again been blessed with an abundance of financial resources, she has never forgotten what it was like to be without. Just as Zacchaeus came to realize, for Amelia wealth is a gift to be shared. She has always been generous with her money and used it to help others. What has inspired me in Amelia’s attitude is that she sees her money as a means and not an end. She knows it is a gift and a fragile one. She well knows that in an instant it can all be gone. She does not worship her money or try to hoard it. She sees it as a means to a full life — the means for education and travel for herself and her family. It is the means to enrichment in her own life and for her community. I think this is what Jesus was really getting at in the gospel today.
The transformation Zacchaeus comes to is what Amelia learned long ago — possessions do not last; they are not eternal. God is. We need to put our faith in God. We need to live a life that first and foremost is focused on love of God and love of neighbor. Whatever assets we may have, however much money in our bank accounts is, secondary. Financial wealth is a gift, and one that may not last.
Just because we don’t make money our first priority doesn’t mean money doesn’t matter. It matters a great deal. It enables us to have food and shelter, to get an education, to travel, and to have fun experiences with our family. All of these things matter, for they enrich our lives and provide enjoyment. God desires us to have life and have it abundantly. God definitely is in favor of our having fun! And as Jesus rewarded Zacchaeus for his transformation, for his decision to share what he had and to make a difference in the world, so he calls each of us to do so. He calls us to see our wealth as a means, as my friend Amelia does, as a means to make a difference in the world.
Whether you feel financially strapped or financially comfortable at the moment, I ask you to reflect on the place money has in your life. If it has an overwhelming influence or an uncomfortably central place in your life, I ask you to consider a change of heart. What would it look like to see money only as a means? How can you, like Zacchaeus and Amelia, let go of the hold money has in your life? How can you use whatever assets you have to enrich your life and the lives of others? Money may not be permanent, but we can use it make a lasting difference in the lives of others. The question I leave you with today is this:
How is your money making a difference in the world? Amen.