32nd Sunday After Pentecost – Zacchaeus Sunday

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beloved friends in Our Lord,

Today is Zacchaeus Sunday, this Sundays marks the beginning of the preparation period for Great Lent and before the start of the Lenten Triodion.

Today we commemorate the story of Zacchaeus from the Gospel of Luke (19:1-10), where Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus passing through Jericho. Despite being a sinner and social outcast, Zacchaeus shows great eagerness to see Christ, and his sincere desire for change leads to his repentance and salvation.

Today’s appointed readings speak to us about salvation and the dignity of youth in Christ’s service. I shall share a story with you as usual to help us understand these texts in a better way.

In a small village by the coast, lived young Thomas, who at the tender age of 16 became a bellringer at St. Michael’s, his parish. The older parishioners would mutter, “What can a lad know of such responsibility?” They watched him like hawks, expecting him to miss the morning ringing or ring sloppily for other services. But Thomas took his duty seriously, climbing the tower faithfully each day, learning the ancient patterns of the bells that called people to prayer.

This brings us to St. Paul’s words to Timothy: “Let no man despise thy youth.” St. John Chrysostom tells us about this passage: “It is not of nature, nor of age, but of the soul that God requires.” Just as Timothy was young when called to shepherd Christ’s flock, Thomas’s youth did not diminish the holiness of his service.

But there is more to our story. In the village lived old Mr. Harrison, a wealthy merchant known for his sharp business practices. Like Zacchaeus in today’s Gospel, he was not much loved by his neighbours. Yet every morning, he would hear Thomas ringing those bells, their ancient voice calling across the village. Gradually, something began to stir in his heart.

St. Cyril of Alexandria writes of Zacchaeus: “Christ’s very presence drew him to a better way of life.” For Mr. Harrison, it was the faithful ringing of those bells, through summer heat and winter frost that drew him back to church for the first time in decades.

Notice how our Lord does not lecture Zacchaeus. He simply says, “Today I must abide at thy house.” St. Augustine reflects: “The Lord, who had already entered his heart, was willing to enter his house.” Similarly, when Mr. Harrison finally came to church, young Thomas did not judge him for his past absence from church for days on end. He simply smiled and rang the bells with extra joy that morning.

Like Zacchaeus, who promised to restore fourfold what he had taken wrongly, Mr. Harrison began to change. He revised his harsh rental terms, forgave old debts, and even funded repairs to the church roof. “Those bells,” he would say, “They reminded me who I was meant to be.”

St. Maximus the Confessor teaches us that salvation often begins with the smallest opening of the heart to God. For Zacchaeus, it was climbing a tree to see Jesus. For Mr. Harrison, it was listening to bells rung by a faithful young soul.

Friends, what do these readings teach us? First, that we should never despise God’s servants no matter young or old. St. Paul tells Timothy to be “an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” Young Thomas, through his faithful service, became such an example.

Second, we learn that salvation comes in unexpected ways to unexpected people. Zacchaeus was a public sinner, yet Christ chose his house to visit. Mr. Harrison was hardened by years of greed, yet the simple sound of bells melted his heart. Zacchaeus did not merely feel sorry for his sins; he took concrete steps to make amends. This is what St Paul means when he tells Timothy to “be an example in conduct.” Our faith must be alive, transforming our hearts and our actions.

Let us remember St. Isaac the Syrian’s words: “The Lord does not demand perfection from those who desire to come to Him but rejoices in those who draw near.” Whether we are young like Timothy and Thomas, or wealthy like Zacchaeus and a bit older like Mr. Harrison, Christ calls us all to salvation.

For this is why our Lord came, “to seek and to save that which was lost.” Let us never despise people who serve Him, nor despair of those who seem far from Him. For as those village bells rang out day after day, so God’s mercy continuously calls to every human heart.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Copyright © 2025 The Rev. Adrian Augustus. The Russian Orthodox Church of the Archangel Michael, Blacktown, NSW

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