Zacchaeus, hurry and come down (from that tree) has been a favorite bible citation of children for years. There is something alluring about a short man climbing a tree to see Jesus. But the point of the story is that Zaccaeus was a rich man who had become wealthy as a chief tax collector. Chief tax collectors usually obtained their wealth by squeezing taxpayers out of money by collecting much more that was needed to send to Rome. Needless to say this legal graft made all tax collectors hated by the populace. Looking at what has been going on in the up coming elections we see accusations of "pork barreling" and even more serious transgressions by the political opponents. The liberals call the conservatives crooks because they have sold out to the rich, the conservatives call the liberals crooks because they believe in taxing and spending.
Jesus ends today's story by stating: "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham." On election day we should remember that all the candidates are children of Abraham. Candidates should be elected based on their positive attributes rather than on the smear tactics employed during the campaign.
Perhaps Jesus was speaking of today's politicians when he said, "For the Son of Man came to seek out and save the lost." Instead of denigrating our leaders perhaps we should try praying for them.
Peace Jim
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