As a consequence of conversing with my good friend, Pastor Elizabeth O’Neill regarding the focus scripture for “All Saints’ Day,” I recently looked through scriptures and teachings related to the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19.
He is rarely discussed in LDS history (JS Papers, All conference addresses, Denver’s Blogs and Books with exception of use in Nephi’s Isaiah as a means to describe Jesus’ stature). When he is, it usually reflects the dominant Christian interpretation, wherein Zacchaeus is cast as a sinner repenting in the presence of Jesus.1Only recently was this corrected in the LDS record, first in Sister Sharon Eubanks (2019, April, ‘Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness’ — ya gotta love those sisters) conference address, and later by Henry Eyring. Some Bibles even translate Zacchaeus’ words into the English by adding the word “will.” As in, I will…. This implies the imperfect, or unfulfilled, or future tense. From this they imply that this is not true in the past, or even in the present and therefore he is a sinner repenting.
That is not what the Greek says. As best as this far-less-than-amateur can tell, the Greek conjugate is not imperfect; it is declarative. Grok and ChatGPT concur. :- )
Looking at the story, Zacchaeus is being chastised and demeaned as a “sinner”2Maybe later we look closer at ἁμαρτωλῷ. (Luke 19:7). He defends his character by saying that I give… (δίδωμι 19:8; not, I will give). In short, this is what I do; this is who I am. It kind of reminds me of “Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God….”
The juxtaposition between this [righteous] “son of Abraham” and his [self-righteous] accusers is stark. Jesus responds: “This day is salvation come to this house.” (Luke 19:9) “Salvation” (yeah, that guy) comes to the outcast’s house (i.e., family?), not to the accusers’ houses. It occurs to me that accusing usually stands in opposition to forgiving.
Dare I then accuse an accuser? I presume that if I am to “forgive all men,” I must forgive the accuser [independent of the accused]. “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” Oh Father, forgive us all. (edited)
Footnotes:
- 1Only recently was this corrected in the LDS record, first in Sister Sharon Eubanks (2019, April, ‘Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness’ — ya gotta love those sisters) conference address, and later by Henry Eyring.
- 2Maybe later we look closer at ἁμαρτωλῷ.