Who is Zacchaeus?

The story of Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10) is a favorite in children's Bibles.  Zacchaeus is a tax-collector who was curious about Jesus and suddenly found himself invited to give hospitality to the teacher and his disciples.  He responded by giving half of his wealth away and pledging to refund to anyone he had cheated four times what he had stolen.  The story ends with Jesus saying that salvation has come to the house of Zacchaeus and reaffirming that he has come to save the lost.

What is striking to me about the story is that it does not contain any report of the faith of Zacchaeus.  We assume he has faith in Jesus, otherwise why would he act as he does.  But the story does not tell us that Zacchaeus fell on his knees and confessed in Jesus as his Lord and Savior.  Not at all.  It is a very Jewish story.  It is not words that matter but his actions.  Zacchaeus is saved not because he confesses that Jesus is his Savior, but because he repents and pledges to care for the poor and provide restitution to those he has treated unjustly.  Faith is not belief but love.  We all need to be reminded of that.

Which gospel tells the parable of the Good Samaritan?

The gospel of Luke (10:25-37).  Having told the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus asked, "Who showed themselves to be a good neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"  They answered him, "The one who had mercy on him."  Jesus said, "Go and do likewise."

The story is familiar to all of us.  We may not recall, however, that Jesus tells the parable in response to a question about the limits of loving our neighbors.  In addition, we may not know that Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies.  The Samaritans were descendents of the northern tribes of Israel who had intermarried with other peoples after the northern kingdom was conquered by the Assyrians and the conquerors moved other conquered peoples into the area.  This was why the Samaritans worshipped other gods in addition to the LORD.  When Ezra and Nehemiah led the exiled Judeans back to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple, the Samaritans offered to help.  The Judeans rejected their offer, so the Samaritans attacked the workers on the temple.  

To tell a story to Jews of a Samaritan hero was an audacious act.  But what better way to make the point!  Jesus calls on his followers to love others regardless of ethnic and religious differences.  The cycle of violence between peoples must be broken by acts of love.  There is no other way to peace.

Who is Ezekiel?

The Old Testament contains writings by a number of men who experienced the call of God to speak on behalf of God to their people.  These men were known as prophets, not because they were able to predict the future, but because they spoke for God.  Ezekiel was a priest among the exiles from Judah, who had been forced by the Babylonians to relocate in Babylon and Egypt.  Ezekiel wrote on behalf of God between 593 and about 563 BC.

All the prophets spoke words of judgment against Israel for not keeping the commandments of God and for oppressing the poor, but some of the later prophets also proclaimed a return of the exiles to Jerusalem and the restoration of the nation.  Ezekiel speaks forcefully to the exiles, judging the people for their wickedness but also encouraging them with words of promise.  In the New Testament the words of Ezekiel are understood in the light of Christ, who is proclaimed to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old Testament.

What does the letter of James say about religion?

The letter of James is attributed to James the Just, the brother of Jesus who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem.  We do not hear in the gospels that James followed his brother, but in Acts and in Paul's letter to the Galatians James is acknowledged as first among the apostles in Jerusalem.  The letter is not addressed to a particular congregation but to "the twelve tribes in the Dispersion," which suggests that the letter was written after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, because Christians as well as Jews were driven out of Jerusalem by the Romans who broke the back of the Jewish rebellion.

"Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves," the letter says. (1: 22)  More specifically, "If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless." (1:26)  And, the letter asserts, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (1:27)  Faith must be lived in order to be true.  This is not merely the teaching of this letter, but of the church throughout the centuries.

Where does Jesus says, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light"?

In Matthew 11:30. Jesus says, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (v. 28) And then he concludes, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (v. 30) The word "yoke" literally means an attachment put over the neck of an animal, such as an ox, that is used to pull a cart. It is obvious, however, that Jesus is using the word in a figurative sense. We know that rabbis in this period spoke of "the yoke of the law," as a way of referring to the commandments of Torah. The meaning of this passage seems to be that learning about Torah from Jesus will make its burdens lighter. Moreover, the passage promises, those who follow Jesus will find rest for their souls.

Unlike the letters of Paul, which argue that Christ has replaced the (Jewish) law, the gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the law of Moses. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says clearly that he has not come to abolish the (Jewish) law, and there he teaches his disciples to keep the commandments until all that God has planned is accomplished. As the gospel was written for one or more churches, which were waiting for the end to come, the early Christians reading the gospel of Matthew must have been strictly adhering to Jewish law, unlike the churches organized by Paul. As Gentiles came to outnumber Jews in the churches, adherence to (Jewish) law disappeared from the life of the church. 

Which gospel tells the story of Mary and Elizabeth?

The gospel of Luke begins with the story of these two women and recounts their miraculous pregnancies and the births of their special children. Elizabeth in her old age, with Zechariah, has a son, who will grow up to be John the Baptist. Mary bears a son conceived by the Spirit of God, who will become Jesus, the Messiah. These stories of special women and their two sons are not present in any of the other gospels of the New Testament. They represent the story of the church that was written for a man called Theophilus, a Greek, (Luke 1:3) and probably also for one or more churches that he was sponsoring. The prominent role of women at the beginning of this story reminds us that the sequel to this gospel written by the same author, the Acts of the Apostles, identifies many women among the leaders of the increasingly Gentile churches founded by Paul and his associates in cities of the Roman Empire.

Mary, who gives herself to the will of God, has become for many the model of a faithful Christian. Catholics have given her a place second only to Jesus, as a focus for prayer and as a mediator between Christians and God. Protestants have rejected the idea of mediation by Mary or by the saints, and thus pray only to God in the name of Jesus. But surely Protestants can also recognize the special place of Mary, as the mother of Jesus, in the story of Christ. She is part of his humanity. She reminds us that Jesus was a child, and that he depended on his mother, as all children do, for food and for love. Jesus became the person he was partly because of Mary, his mother. God's purposes are to be worked out through people like Mary, not only through persons like Jesus. God's purposes are being worked out through people like us as well.

Who is "the servant of God" in Isaiah?

Isaiah 42 affirms that God has given his servant "as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations." (Is. 42:6) And in Isaiah 49:1-6 we read: "It is not enough for you to be my servant. I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach the furthest corners of the earth." In Isaiah 42 and 49 it seems clear that the "servant" of God is Israel, the people of the covenant. The prophet proclaims that God's covenant with Israel is not simply for Israel's benefit. Instead, God is using Israel, like a servant, to reach out to all the peoples of the world. Even Israel's suffering, the prophet says, is part of God's purpose to enlighten all nations.

Christians have read these "suffering servant" passages differently — as foretelling the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Luke reports that Simeon, who is in the temple looking for a sign of the kingdom of God, rejoices when Jesus is brought to be circumcised, because Simeon believes he has seen the one who will be "a light of revelation to the Gentiles." (Lk. 2:32) Clearly, this is a reference to Isaiah 49:6. The testimony of the church is that Jesus is the Christ, because through his suffering the promise of the kingdom of God has been offered to all peoples. This is the good news of the gospel.

Where is the story of "doubting Thomas"?

In John 20:24-29. Risen from the dead, Jesus says to Thomas who doubted, "Put your finger here and see my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it in my side.  Do not doubt but believe."  Thomas answers him, "My Lord and my God!" The Thomas passages in the gospel of John are not verified anywhere else in the New Testament.  In fact, Thomas does not have a speaking role in the first three gospels.  In the gospel of John, however, Thomas gives voice to the doubts that are certainly present among many Christians.  It is hard to see this account as history, because it seems so clearly directed at the doubters of the early church.  In verse 29 Jesus says, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."  The story seems to have been told for the next generation of Christians.

The church is unanimous in its witness to the resurrection of Jesus, but doubts about what the resurrection means are expressed in the gospel stories.  Paul verifies that Jesus appeared to Peter, then to the disciples, then to a large group, and finally to him.  Paul does not, however, mention an empty tomb.  Paul argues that resurrection means a new spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15), but says explicitly that this does not mean the resuscitation of the physical body. So, we can affirm the resurrection without taking this story about Thomas literally.  We can embrace the faith of Paul.

Who said, "Bless those who persecute you"?