Generosity and reparations create opportunities for making and maintaining trust and peace. Read Luke 19:1-9. Zacchaeus wasn’t just a tax collector; he was a chief tax collector. He supervised tax collectors. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, where he would ride a donkey to the shouts of Hosanna, be crucified, and resurrected. Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus, and Jesus offered him a relationship. Shocking. The crowd muttered their disgust that Jesus would associate with a sinner like Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus responded with generosity. “I give half of my possessions to the poor.” Wow! As a tax collector, Zacchaeus was shunned by the community. That would include being invited to someone’s house or worshiping in the synagogue. Although he became rich, it cost him in relationships. His response to Jesus for including him was to be generous with his riches. Zacchaeus went on to say, “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” WOW! If he wrongly took $100 from you, he will give you $400. The Mosaic Law included instructions for reparations. A person who wrongly took $100 from you was to admit the harm he had done and make restitution by giving back twenty percent, which in this case would have been $120. Zacchaeus went far beyond that. He wasn’t just making restitution; he was building trust with his extreme offer. Jesus rejoiced and let the muttering crowd know that salvation had come to the house of Zacchaeus that day. What is our response when we have caused harm? First, we acknowledge that our actions were harmful. Second, we ask forgiveness. Third, we make restitution with our actions. If we want, we can go one more step and be generous by making an additional donation to our church or a mission to further the mission of making disciples.

Lord God, give us generous hearts that respond with rejoicing because you have included us in your kingdom. Make us willing to repair relationships and to freely give what is needed to further the mission of making disciples. Amen.