Restitution Joy

Made Flesh

As we enter the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, we see in this week’s reading how Jesus affects the life of Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector whom the community despises. We also see how this encounter impacts that same community in tangible ways.

In the early days of my faith journey, I heard songs about Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus. We sang, “Zacchaeus was a very little man, and a very little man was he; he climbed up into a sycamore tree for the saviour he wanted to see. But when the saviour passed that way, he looked into the tree – and said, ‘Now Zacchaeus, you come down, coz I’m coming to your house for tea.’”

From that song and story, I learned that Jesus engaged with someone  unpopular, a “sinner” in the eyes of the public. Though he was physically very small, Jesus noticed him, and invited himself for tea.

Whilst all of that is true, the essence of the story was lost on me. Very much in hindsight, I see it was part of a framing of the ‘good news’ that was not good news at all for most people in our evil and broken apartheid system in South Africa.

Zacchaeus had gained wealth at the expense of others; it seems he stole money in his role as chief tax collector for the rulers in power at the time. When he encounters the love and power of Jesus – which is an “upside down” kind of power – Zacchaeus is immediately drawn to him. He firstly says he will give half of his possessions to the poor/vulnerable, and then offers to return the resources he gained unjustly. It is a key part of the story.

A Full Turn-Around
Zacchaeus’ repentance, or turn around – metanoia (a change in one’s life due to spiritual conversion) – includes making right that which he had done wrong.

Whether one is directly responsible for injustice, or a complicit beneficiary, repentance is a turn-around in that way of life, a transformation that includes the practical outworking of restoring  that which was taken unjustly. What I see in this story, which I missed in my early faith years, is the very clear call to more than verbal repentance: I see an invitation to be part of giving back, making right, restoration, restitution.

Restitution. This word evokes a strong reaction, in my experience. I have heard people call it ‘retribution’ by mistake, in workshops and other settings. I would argue that it is the opposite of retribution, and so closely linked to genuine reconciliation. Restitution is part of repentance, a key part of the metanoia when we “turn around,” and a beautiful part of “making good” that which is wrong, individually and collectively. It has economic implications, if that is where the sin is rooted – which it so often is in a world of natural greed, supremacy and power. Whilst we cannot change the past, we are invited to be part of building something new in the “upside down” kingdom of God.

What I noticed in Zacchaeus’s response is an immediate and humble “YES!” to this invitation. In verse 9:6, it says, “So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.” His lack of defensiveness and pride is an inspiration to us today. His exuberant commitment to giving away half of his resources is a reminder of how deeply inner freedom and economic generosity are connected.

Abundance vs Scarcity
One of the obstacles to this part of repentance is a mindset postured towards scarcity: Is there enough? If I part with this, will I be okay?

When our worldview and mindset is postured towards abundance, restitution can be experienced as a beautiful invitation. There is enough. We can let go, giving without strings attached. Yes, it requires sacrifice: As Zacchaeus returned the wealth he had unjustly built up, he “lost” earthly possessions, security, resources, and possibly a life of ease. However, he gained so much more.

Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house …”

We gain so much by living a life postured towards rebuilding, restoration, and working towards a more just society. In South Africa, the impact of an unjust system – one that rewarded a very small percentage of the population with access to resources based on race – is very obvious. The ways to give back are obvious, too. But restitution is not welcomed by many. It is misunderstood, under-estimated, and highly charged, often generating a strong response; perhaps because it affects wealth and resources.

Restitution is joy. I have experienced and witnessed the joy of communal and just sharing amongst people I love and respect, with small and large acts of restitution that required faith and courage.

It is a joy to be part of making right that which has been “wrong.” It reminds me of Isaiah 58, where we are called to be repairers of broken walls. Doing that together with others, in community, is part of our collective restoration.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That includes us humans, but also our collective resources, and the beautiful world in which we live.

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Dwelling Among Us 

What has been ‘lost’ in your community?  Who comes to mind when you think of the ‘lost’? 

What role can you play in restoring that which has been stolen from us,  from our communities, as well as by us and by our communities?