Metaphysical meaning of Zacchaeus (mbd)
Zacchaeus, zae–ehæ'–us (Gk. fr. Heb.) --washed; cleansed; cleansed; clean; purified; clear; limpid; guileless; innocent; virtuous; just; righteous.
"A chief publican," a taxgatherer, who lived in Jericho. He climbed a tree to see Jesus, because he was small of stature. He received Jesus into his house, accepted the Truth that Jesus taught, and made a more than right adjustment in his life (Luke 19 :1–10).
Meta. Conservatism degenerated to avarice. Zacchæus means just, or clean, purified. In the Truth of Being, conservatism, or the power to accumulate, is legitimate; but Zacchæus wrongfully had exacted more than his share of goods. This represents the tendency of race thought to reflect into consciousness selfish ideas of accumulation.
The methods of avarice are known to all as unjust, and are under universal condemnation. Zacchæus (conservatism) becomes a publican and a sinner (avarice, injustice, withholding). When Jesus went to lodge with him the bystanders murmured; but the I AM must deal fearlessly with all its thoughts, and must bring them to repentance. In telling Zacchæus that he also was a son of Abraham, Jesus recognized the good as the central substance of every thought. The center around which avarice accumulates is "justice." The accumulative faculty starts out with the just thought of getting only its own, but in the reflected world's hurry to get rich it loses sight of justice and adopts methods that bring it under condemnation. When its attention is called to its inner substance of goodness and Truth it remembers its true nature, and cries, "The half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold." The I AM puts its seal of approval on this just resolve, with the words of assurance, "To–day is salvation come to this house."
Avarice expresses in body consciousness as a tendency of the mind to deplete one center in the effort to sustain normal activity in another center. For example, the whole organism may be depleted by Sa too intense activity of the intellectual powers, without the direction of spiritual I AM.
The "sycomore tree" is the fig mulberry, which produces fruit of little value. It represents a false standard of expression. The ego must "come down" from its false standard before justice and harmony can be established. Zacchæus was commanded to come down from the tree.
Another interpretation of this lesson in Luke 19:1–10 is as follows:
The Hebrew meaning of Zacchæus is purified, just, righteous. One authority says that Zacchæus means "justice."
Zacchæus is described as being little of stature, a chief publican, and rich. This description of him represents the limitations of a good thought that is steeped in materiality.
The "sycomore tree" that Zacchæus climbed to see Jesus is the fig mulberry, which produces a figlike fruit of little value. His climbing this tree represents the tendency of small thoughts to elevate themselves to high places on false foundations.
It is possible for an inherently just and pure faculty to degenerate until, in its small perspective, it becomes avaricious and unjust. Justice is a divine quality, but the selfish grasping for temporal things has created a race consciousness called Mammon, which seems to be gripping men and nations with avarice and hate.
The remedy for shortsighted selfishness and avarice is obedience to the Christ command: "Zacchæus, make haste, and come down; for to–day I must abide at thy house." We all must come down from assumed standards of right, and abide with the Christ in divine justice and righteousness.
When we awaken spiritually and discern the Truth we become like Zacchæus; we are willing to give up our unlawfully acquired possessions of every kind, and to restore fourfold to those whom we have cheated.
The meaning of Luke 19:9, 10 is that Jesus, who represents man's demonstration of Christ, redeems every sinning or lost faculty. Every true faculty of the mind has its origin in spiritual faith (represented by Abraham--father of a multitude), the one source of all the faculties of man.
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Preceding Entry: Zaccai
Following Entry: Zaccur
