Ripe for the Picking

The universal love and providence of the Creator are celebrated in this most unusual reading. Unlike earlier traditions that envision creation as a kind of reordering of cosmic debris after the primordial battle, this passage depicts a Creator who is personally involved with every dimension of the natural world. We find here the same cosmic power, but it is coupled with love and mercy. Just as the power of the Creator is matched by the love of the Creator, so is this love manifested through mercy. God is merciful precisely because God is powerful. Finally, the author claims that the imperishable spirit of God is in all things. 

Paul assures his people that though he has been the minister of the word, it is God who called them, and it is Paul’s prayer that they remain worthy of that calling. He states that though they are obliged to live ethical lives, it is the prior grace of God and not the ethical behavior that saves them. He further teaches an “already-but-not-yet” form of eschatology (teachings about the end-times).  Though the eschatological day of the Lord is imminent, it is not yet present.  Believers must continue to live their lives in patient anticipation of Christ’s coming, realizing that they do so in his presence, for he has already come. The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates Jesus’ mission to seek and to save what is lost. Not only did Zacchaeus belong to the hated class of tax collectors, he was chief among them. This means that he probably benefitted both from the taxes paid and from the fees that tax collectors themselves exacted from the people.  The narrative draws bold lines of contrast between Jesus’ attitude toward this man and the scorn of some of the bystanders. Jesus insisted that only those who are lost can be found; only those who are perishing can be saved. Those who revere themselves as righteous seldom understand this, and as a result, miss opportunities for their own salvation.