Luke’s gospel, which we read this evening at our mission (Luke 18,31-19,10),  has been called the Gospel of the Outcasts. The New American Bible gives this overall description of it: “Throughout the gospel, Luke calls upon the Christian disciple to identify with the master Jesus who is caring and tender towards the poor and the lowly, the outcast, the sinner, and the afflicted, towards all those who recognize their dependence on God… No gospel writer is more concerned than Luke with the mercy and compassion of Jesus.”

As the name implies, outcasts can be hard to take, but Jesus embraced them in his lifetime and the gospel tells us he will always embrace people like the blind man and Zachaeus, the chief tax-collector in Jericho.

The parable of the talents follows the story of Zachaeus in Luke’s Gospel. Was Zachaeus one of those given ten talents, which he multiplies by his generous gifts to the poor?  There seems to be something of the child in him too. Climbing a tree is something a child would do, isn’t it? Was he on the way to become like a child, as Jesus taught?

I like this picture of Zachaeus by J. Tissot. (above)

In Jericho last year I took a picture of the sycamore tree they feature now in the town square. (above) Imagine Zachaeus up that tree.