And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus in the sycamore; the blind man by the wayside.^[1] The Lord waits for the one to have mercy on him and honors the other with the radiance of his visit. He questions the one before healing him^[2] and attends the other’s house as an uninvited guest. He knew that his host’s reward was to be rich. Although Christ had not yet heard his voice of invitation, he has heard his good will.

Zacchaeus was leader of the tax collectors, a man entirely abandoned to greed, whose only goal was the increase of his gains. This was the practice of the tax collectors, although Paul calls it idolatry,^[1] possibly as being suitable only for those who have no knowledge of God. Since they shamelessly, openly professed this vice, the Lord very justly joined them with the prostitutes, saying to the leaders of the Jews, The prostitutes and the tax collectors go before you into the kingdom of God.^[2] Zacchaeus did not continue to be among them, but he was counted worthy of mercy at Christ’s hands. He calls near those who are far away and gives light to those who are in darkness.

There certainly is much truth in a certain saying of a philosopher, Every rich man is either wicked or the heir of wickedness.^[1] That is why the Lord and Savior says that it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.^[2] Someone may raise the objection, How did wealthy Zacchaeus enter the kingdom of heaven? He gave away his wealth and immediately replaced it with the riches of the heavenly kingdom. The Lord and Savior did not say that the rich would not enter the kingdom of heaven but that they will enter with difficulty.

Come and let us see what was the method of Zacchaeus’s conversion. He desired to see Jesus and therefore climbed into a sycamore tree, and so a seed of salvation sprouted within him. Christ saw this with the eyes of deity. Looking up, he also saw Zacchaeus with the eyes of humanity, and since it was his purpose for all to be saved, he extends his gentleness to him. To encourage him, he says, Come down quickly. Zacchaeus searched to see Christ, but the multitude prevented him, not so much that of the people but of his sins. He was short of stature, not merely in a bodily point of view but also spiritually. He could not see him unless he were raised up from the earth and climbed into the sycamore, by which Christ was about to pass. The story contains a puzzle. In no other way can a person see Christ and believe in him except by climbing up into the sycamore, by making foolish his earthly members of fornication, uncleanness, etc.

Zacchaeus climbed away from the crowd and saw Jesus without the crowd getting in his way.

The crowd laughs at the lowly, to people walking the way of humility, who leave the wrongs they suffer in God’s hands and do not insist on getting back at their enemies. The crowd laughs at the lowly and says, You helpless, miserable clod, you cannot even stick up for yourself and get back what is your own. The crowd gets in the way and prevents Jesus from being seen. The crowd boasts and crows when it is able to get back what it owns. It blocks the sight of the one who said as he hung on the cross, Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.^[1] . . . He ignored the crowd that was getting in his way. He instead climbed a sycamore tree, a tree of silly fruit. As the apostle says, We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block indeed to the Jews, [now notice the sycamore] but folly to the Gentiles.^[2] Finally, the wise people of this world laugh at us about the cross of Christ and say, What sort of minds do you people have, who worship a crucified God? What sort of minds do we have? They are certainly not your kind of mind. The wisdom of this world is folly with God.^[3] No, we do not have your kind of mind. You call our minds foolish. Say what you like, but for our part, let us climb the sycamore tree and see Jesus. The reason you cannot see Jesus is that you are ashamed to climb the sycamore tree.

Let Zacchaeus grasp the sycamore tree, and let the humble person climb the cross. That is little enough, merely to climb it. We must not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, but we must fix it on our foreheads, where the seat of shame is. Above where all our blushes show is the place we must firmly fix that for which we should never blush. As for you, I rather think you make fun of the sycamore, and yet that is what has enabled me to see Jesus. You make fun of the sycamore, because you are just a person, but the foolishness of God is wiser than men.^[4]

The Lord, who had already welcomed Zacchaeus in his heart, was now ready to be welcomed by him in his house. He said, Zacchaeus, hurry up and come down, since I have to stay in your house. He thought it was a marvelous piece of good luck to see Christ. While imagining it was a marvelous piece of luck quite beyond words to see him passing by, he was suddenly found worthy to have him in his house. Grace is poured out, and faith starts working through love. Christ, who was already dwelling in his heart, is welcomed into his house. Zacchaeus says to Christ, Lord, half my goods I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times over. It is as if he were saying, The reason I am keeping back half for myself is not in order to have it, but to have something from which to pay people back.

There you are. That is really what welcoming Jesus means, welcoming him into your heart. Christ was already there. He was in Zacchaeus and spoke through him. The apostle says that this is what it means, For Christ to dwell by faith in your hearts.^[1]

Zacchaeus was praying in his heart as follows, Happy the one who is worthy that this just man should enter into his dwelling. The Lord said to him, Hurry, come down, Zacchaeus. Seeing he knew his thoughts, he said, Just as he knows this, he knows also all that I have done. He therefore said, All that I have unjustly received, I give back fourfold. Hurry and come down from the fig tree, because it is with you that I will be staying. The first fig tree of Adam will be forgotten, because of the last fig tree of the chief tax collector, and the name of the guilty Adam will be forgotten because of the innocent Zacchaeus.

Zacchaeus must be praised. His riches were unable to keep him from the royal threshold. He should be greatly praised because his riches brought him to the threshold of the kingdom. From this, we understand that wealth is not a hindrance but a help to attaining the glory of Christ. While we possess it, we should not squander it on wild living but give it away for the sake of salvation. There is no crime in possessions, but there is crime in those who do not know how to use possessions. For the foolish, wealth is a temptation to vice, but for the wise, it is a help to virtue. Some receive an opportunity for salvation, but others acquire an obstacle of condemnation.

The Son of man came to seek and to save what was lost. All were lost. From the moment the one man sinned, in whom the whole race was contained, the whole race was lost. One man without sin came. He would save them from sin.

Finally, he also calls sons of Abraham those whom he perceives are active in helping and nourishing the poor. Zacchaeus said, Behold, I give one half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. Jesus responded, Today salvation has come to this house, since he too is a son of Abraham. If Abraham believed in God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, then he who gives alms according to the command of God certainly believes in God. He that possesses the true faith keeps the fear of God. Moreover, he keeps the fear of God by showing mercy to the poor.

The scope of the parable briefly represents the whole meaning of the dispensation that was for us and of the mystery of Christ from the beginning even to the end. The Word, being God, became man. He was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, because of this he is also called a servant. He is and was free born, because the Father unspeakably begot him. He is also God, transcending all in nature and in glory and surpassing the things of our estate, or rather even the whole creation, by his incomparable fullness. . . .

By nature God, he is said to have received from the Father the name that is above every name when he became man. We might then believe in him as God and the King of all, even in the flesh that was united to him.

When he had endured the passion on the cross for our sakes and had abolished death by the resurrection of his body from the dead, he ascended to the Father and became like a man journeying to a far country. Heaven is a different country from earth, and he ascended so that he might receive a kingdom for himself. . . . How does he who reigns over all with the Father ascend to him to receive a kingdom? The Father also gives this to the Son according to his becoming man. When he ascended into heaven, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high,^[1] waiting until his enemies are put under his feet.^[2]

To those who believe in him, the Savior distributes a variety of divine gifts. We affirm that this is the meaning of the talent. Truly great is the difference between those who receive the talents and those who have even completely denied his kingdom. They are rebels that throw off the yoke of his scepter, while the others are endowed with the glory of serving him. As faithful servants, therefore, they are entrusted with their Lord’s wealth. They gain something by doing business. They earn the praises due to faithful service, and they are considered worthy of eternal honors.

The sacred Scripture clearly shows how he distributed, who the persons are, and what the talents that he distributes signify. He continues to distribute even to this day. Blessed Paul said, There are distributions of gifts but the same Spirit. There are distributions of ministries but the same Lord. There are distributions of things to be done but the same God who works all in every man.^[1] Explaining what he said, he states the kinds of the gifts as follows: For to one is given the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, and to another faith, and to another gifts of healing,^[2] and so on. These words make plain the differences in the gifts.

It says that his citizens hated him. Likewise, Christ admonishes the Jewish crowds, saying, If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.^[1] They would not let him reign over them, and yet the holy prophets were constantly speaking predictions of Christ as a king. One of them even said, Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, for your King comes to you, just, and a Savior; he is meek, and riding on a donkey, and on a new foal.^[2] Blessed Isaiah says of him and of the holy apostles, Behold, a just king shall reign, and princes shall rule with judgment.^[3] Again, Christ somewhere said by the voice of the psalmist, But I have been appointed King by him on Zion, his holy mount, and I will declare the commandment of the Lord.^[4] They then denied his kingdom. When they came near to Pilate saying, Away with him, away with him, crucify him,^[5] he asked them, or rather said to them in derision, Shall I crucify your king? They answered with wicked words and said, We have no king but Caesar.

Having denied the kingdom of Christ, they fell under the dominion of Satan and brought on themselves the yoke of sin that cannot be lifted.

I think that I should mention whom Christ has entrusted with these gifts, according to the measure of each one’s readiness and disposition. . . . Another Evangelist is aware of a difference between the amounts of the talents distributed. To one, he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one.^[1] You see that the distribution was suitable to the measure of each one’s faculties. As to those who were entrusted with them, come, and let us to the best of our ability declare who they are. They are those who are perfect in mind to whom also strong meat is fitting and whose intellectual senses are exercised for the discerning of good and evil.^[2] They are those who are skilled in instructing correctly and acquainted with the sacred doctrines. They know how to direct both themselves and others to every better work. In short, the wise disciples were above all others. Next to these come those who succeeded to their ministry, or who hold it at this day, even the holy teachers that stand at the head of the holy churches.

Interest on the Word of God is having in life and deeds things that the Word of God has commanded. When you hear the Word, if you use it and act according to those words that you hear and live according to these words, then you are preparing interest for the Lord. Each of you can make ten talents from five. You will then hear from the Lord, Well done, good and faithful servant, you shall have power over ten cities. Beware of this, fearing that any one of you may gather in a napkin or bury in the earth the money that has been received. You know well the nature of the outcome for this kind of man when the Lord comes.

We are well aware of the threats made by the Lord’s merciful greed. He is everywhere seeking a profitable return on his money. He says to the lazy servant, who wished to pass judgment on something he could not see, Wicked servant, out of your own mouth I condemn you. You said I am a difficult man, reaping where I have not sown, gathering where I have not scattered. So you knew all about my greed. You, then, should have given my money to the stockbrokers. When I came, I would have demanded it with interest. We could only lay out our Lord’s money. He is the one who will demand the interest on it, not only from this man but also from all of us.

What you have offered to God you shall receive back multiplied. Something like this, although put in another way, is related in the Gospels when in a parable someone received a pound that he might engage in business, and the master of the house demanded the money. If you have caused five to be multiplied to ten, then they are given to you. Hear what Scripture says, Take his pound, and give it to him who has ten pounds.

We therefore appear at least to engage in business for the Lord, but the profits of the business go to us. We appear to offer sacrifice to the Lord, but the things we offer are given back to us. God does not need anything, but he wants us to be rich. He desires our progress through each, individual thing.

In the Gospel, you have heard both the reward of the good servants and the punishment of the bad. The fault of that servant who was reproved and severely punished was this and only this: that he would not put to use what he had received. He preserved it intact, but his master was looking for a profit from it. God is greedy for our salvation. If such condemnation befalls the servant who did not use what he had received, what should they who lose it expect? We therefore are dispensers. We expend, but you receive. We expect a profit on your part—living good lives—for that is the profit from our dispensing. Do not think that you are free from the obligation of dispensing. Of course, you cannot dispense your gifts as from this higher station of ours, but you can dispense them in whatever station you happen to be. When Christ is attacked, defend him. Give an answer to those who complain. Rebuke blasphemers, but keep yourselves far from any fellowship with them. If in this way you gain anyone, you are putting your gifts to use.

As long as it was fitting that he should travel the country of the Jews trying to win by lessons and admonitions superior to the law many to the grace that is by faith, he did not cease to do so. The time was now calling Christ to the passion for the salvation of the whole world. He therefore goes up to Jerusalem to free the inhabitants of the earth from the tyranny of the enemy, to abolish death, and to destroy the sin of the world. First, he points out to the Israelites by a plain fact, that a new people from among the heathen shall be subject to him, while they themselves are rejected as the murderers of the Lord.

When the Savior had come to Bethphage and Bethany near Mount Olivet, he sent two of his disciples to untie the foal of a donkey that had been tied, on which no man had ever sat. To me, this seems to apply more to the deeper sense than to the simple narrative. The donkey had been bound. Where was it bound? Across from Bethphage and Bethany. Bethany means house of obedience, and Bethphage means house of jaws. Bethphage is a priestly place, because jawbones were given to priests, as the law commands.^[1] The Savior sends his disciples to the place where obedience is and where the place given over to priests is, to unbind the foal of an ass, on which no man had ever sat.

He came to the Mount of Olivet^[1] so that he could plant new olive trees^[2] on the heights of virtue, the mother of which is the Jerusalem that is above.^[3] The heavenly Gardener is on this mountain so that all those who are planted in the house of the Lord^[4] may say, But I am as a fruitful olive in the house of the Lord.^[5] Perhaps that mountain is Christ himself. Who else could produce such fruits, not in many round berries but in the fullness of spirit in the fruitful Gentiles? We ascend by him, and we ascend to him.^[6] He is the Door^[7] and the Way^[8] that is opened and which opens. Those entering knock on it,^[9] and those leaving worship it.

What then was the sign? He sat on a colt, as we have just heard the blessed Evangelist clearly telling us. Perhaps someone will say, When he traveled all Judea—for he taught in their synagogues and added the working of miracles to his words—he did not ask for an animal on which to ride. When Christ could have purchased one, he would not, although he often was wearied by his long journeys on the way. When passing through Samaria, he was wearied with his journey,^[1] as it is written. Who can make us believe that when he was going from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, places separated from one another by so short an interval, that he would require a colt? Since the mother accompanied the colt, why did he not take the mother instead of choosing the colt? The donkey that bore the colt was brought to him also. We learn this from the words of Matthew, who says that he sent the disciples to a village opposite them. He said to them, You will find a donkey tied and a colt with her. Untie and bring them to me. They brought, it says, the donkey and the colt with her.^[2] We must consider, therefore, what are the explanations and the benefits that we derive from this occurrence and how we make Christ riding on the colt a type of the calling of the Gentiles. The colt of a donkey is mounted on which none has sat, because no one before Christ called the peoples of the nations to the church.

Untie the donkey and bring it to me.^[1] He began with a manger and finished with a donkey, in Bethlehem with a manger, in Jerusalem with a donkey.

People from every nation look for him who was crucified in Judea, after whose coming the country of the Jews was immediately given over to you as the loot of war. The words tying his foal to the vine and washing his robe in the blood of the grape^[1] allegorically signified the things that would happen to Christ and the deeds he would perform. The foal of a donkey stood tied to a vine at the entrance to a village. He ordered his disciples to lead it to him. When this was done, he mounted it and sat on it and entered Jerusalem where was located the greatest Jewish temple, which you later destroyed.

The apostles threw down their own garments before Christ. By their preaching of the gospel, they would present the glory of their action. In Holy Scripture, very often garments are virtues, which are to soften the hardness of the Gentiles to some extent by their own virtue, so that with zealous good will they may show the undisturbed obedience of a joyful passage. The Lord of the world was not happy to be carried in a public spectacle on the back of a donkey. With the generalship of piety, he subdued the accustomed disposition of the Gentile people. The mystic Rider therefore could cover the inmost places of our mind with the hidden mystery. He would take his seat in an inward possession of the secret places of the spirits, as if infused with the Godhead, ruling the footprints of the mind and curbing the lusts of the flesh. Those who received such a Rider in their inmost hearts are happy. A heavenly bridle curbed those mouths, or else they would be unloosed in a multitude of words.^[1]