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Enthusiasm and cynicism

Some while ago I heard a sermon on the story of Zacchaeus. I forget what the point of the sermon was - usually for this Bible passage it's something about Jesus saving everyone, even the unlikely people. But I remember wondering, did Zacchaeus really give all that money away?

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You may remember the tale: Zacchaeus is a corrupt government official who is rather short. When Jesus arrives in town, Zacchaeus wants to get a look at him. So he climbs a tree to see over other people's heads. However, Jesus spots him and tells him to get out of the tree and go cook Jesus some dinner. I assume Jesus phrased it a little more nicely than that, because Zacchaeus is delighted, and moreover, promises to change his entire lifestyle. "Half of my possessions I give to the poor," he declares with the enthusiasm of the instant convert, "and anyone I've defrauded, I'll pay back four times over."

The surrounding crowd are the cynics: Jesus, they mutter, has gone to be the guest of a sinner. But maybe I'm a little cynical myself. It's easy to make grand promises, and then, afterwards, whittle it down. "Half my possessions!" Oh, but not the house, of course. And I can't give someone half a horse. So if I give away some food... and a few pieces of furniture... well, maybe that will do.

So, did Zacchaeus do what he promised? Did he become a much poorer and more honest man? Did he, in fact, really change?

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Almost a year ago, there were reports in the media that migrants to the UK were being baptised in bulk as a way to bolster their asylum claims. The impression was given that crowds of young men were infiltrating local churches, converting to Christianity, and consequently stating that their lives would be in danger if they were returned to their country of origin.

As usual, this seems to be much more splash than substance. A Church of England vicar in Darlington said that he had been approached by people with failed asylum claims, but he didn't, in fact, baptise them, and there was no indication that the parish had done mass baptisms previous to his arrival. 

On the south coast, a Baptist church had a group of 25-30 asylum seekers - mostly Farsi-speaking - in regular attendance, seven of whom had been baptised. This somehow transmuted into "40 refugees baptised on the Bibby Stockholm barge!" in the popular press.

Image by Ahstubbs from Pixabay

The situation of the Baptist church reminded me strongly of the church I used to attend in Derby, where we had quite a large group of Farsi-speaking attendees much earlier than 2024. They were definitely a full part of the church; I think someone managed to set up simultaneous translation of the sermon, and we would occasionally have a go at singing in Farsi. There were regular baptisms. We were always reminded not to take any photos or videos in case it endangered the converts or their families.

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With any baptism or conversion comes the question: But have they really changed? In the case of these young men in my previous church and the Baptist church, then yes, it seems so. They attended church and studied the Bible and prayed, as you might expect any Christian to do. We don't know the end of their stories any more than we know what happened to Zacchaeus, but it doesn't appear to have been a cynical move for short-term gain. And they found welcome and acceptance at the churches they belonged to.

As for Zacchaeus, we'll never know. I suspect he did change, after such a public declaration in front of people who knew him. Certainly Jesus took him at face value. "Today salvation has come to this house," declared Jesus, with possibly as much enthusiasm as his new follower. I hope that Jesus' obvious faith in Zacchaeus enabled Zacchaeus to live out his faith in Jesus, and that he, too, found a new sense of welcome and acceptance.

I think I've been a Christian too long to get wildly enthusiastic and make grand promises. But I hope, with Jesus' help, not to slide too far towards cynicism. Let's live in faith that real change is possible. If salvation can indeed come to a corrupt government official and an immigration detention barge, it may enter many other houses as well.

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