Abraham's Little Son

Zacchaeus’s story is a popular one (Luke 19:1–10). So, I will not expand on it. Instead, I will focus on the parable Jesus gave following his encounter with Zacchaeus (19:11–27) because I think the story of Zacchaeus wasn’t about a short and corrupt tax collector inviting Jesus into his home and promising to help the poor or reverse his corrupt ways. It was about what people richly blessed by God should do with their wealth. Until Jesus visited Zacchaeus, he hoarded his corruptly gained wealth. Jesus’s visit opened his eyes to why he was so richly blessed—to bless others, including the poor and those he defrauded.

I connect Zacchaeus’s story with the parable because Luke did. He said,

“While they were listening to these words by Jesus, he told them a parable because they were near Jerusalem, and the people thought God’s rule was appearing immediately” (19:11).

The parable linked Zacchaeus’s story with what would happen to Jesus in Jerusalem. In the parable, a nobleman was going to a faraway place to be coronated as a king. So, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas, saying,

“Be pragmatic [pragmateuomai] with this until I come back” (19:13)

Pragmatic meant investing the minas practically and sensibly. NET Bible footnote says, “A mina was a Greek monetary unit worth one hundred denarii or about four months’ wages for an average worker based on a six-day work week.” These ten servants received ten minas (roughly 40 months’ salary) to invest them pragmatically.

The nobleman’s journey to coronation wasn’t easy. His own people sent delegations requesting that he would not be made king. But he was coronated anyway. Upon returning home, he called the servants to explain how they invested the minas. One of them had multiplied it ten times (19:16). The king congratulated him, saying,

“Well done, good servant. You have been faithful in the least. I give you authority over ten cities” (19:17).

Another had multiplied the mina five times, and the master praised him and gave him five cities to rule (19:18–19). Another said,

“Lord, here’s your mina, wrapped in a cloth. I was afraid because you are a difficult man who takes what you do not put in or reap what you do not sow” (19:21).

The Lord judged him by his own words, calling him an evil servant, scolding him for not investing the money so he could have gained some interest, and instructing others to take his mina and give it to the servant who had multiplied his by ten times (19:22–23). The last judgment confused the servants. They said,

“Master, he already has ten minas” (19:25).

He replied,

“I tell you: Everyone who has plenty more will be given to him/her. Everyone who doesn’t have anything, what s/he has will be taken” (19:26).

Saying these, the Lord said,

“Those enemies who didn’t want me to be king—bring them here and kill them before me” (19:27).

This was not a kind nobleman. He was harsh, difficult, mean, and ruthless to his enemies and those who mismanaged his wealth. He was the old Zacchaeus. People hated him because he was a tax collector; none would have wanted him over them. Yet, God had richly blessed him and will continue to do so, provided he was pragmatic with his wealth. Jesus’s visit made him pragmatic, generous, and righteous.

God blesses us to bless others. The more we give away, the more God gives us to give away.