THE ECONOMICS OF SALVATION: Luke’s gospel has a uniqueness to it. While his recounting of the goings-on in the saga that was Jesus’ life is fast paced, he is incisive. In telling his story, he uses a scalpel, not a blunt axe; he catches the minute details like only a medical professional would – carefully separating bone from marrow, and skin from flesh.

“Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “See, Lord, I am now giving half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone out of anything, I will give back four times as much.”

(Heard of The giving pledge? Bill Gates and Warren Buffet started this initiative that has drawn in 128 other persons of immense means. They have pledged to give away half of their wealth to philanthropic causes. But Zacchaeus was the real McCoy in this respect.)

That was the big, small man in this story recorded in the nineteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel: A Tax Collector. A Ruler. Rich. And a “Sinner.” Up to this point in Luke’s Gospel, if we meet someone who is rich or a ruler (or both), things don’t go down well for them.

“How difficult it is for those having wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” even exclaimed Jesus. But here is our man. In additional to these disqualifying attributes, he is also a tax collector and a sinner! But such as these are the ones the LORD welcomes.

“Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him,” Luke had earlier recorded.

So what will Jesus say in the curious matter of this diminutive notorious sinner?

“Today salvation has come to this household!”

Boom! There! Here comes a lone camel going through the eye of a needle. (While we mostly associate God with the poor, He identifies with the high-born too. Both pauper and prince belong, and have a place at the table. That’s the Lord’s reminder to us.)

Roman Law (ancient Palestine was under Roman occupation) required a fourfold restitution for any one convicted of extortion or fraud. The same penalty was also applicable under the Old Testament Mosaic Law as civil compensation for economic felonies. Repentant, reformed Zac here imposes that penalty on himself, and then some; Going way past the letter of the law, he adds the half of his goods.

Why do our churches overlook this economic element in repentance?