Zacchaeus, a tax collector, lived in Jericho a little over two thousand years ago. Zacchaeus collected taxes for the Romans. Whatever taxes Zacchaeus collected above what the Jewish people owed the Romans, he could keep for himself. The people had no choice but to pay, or they would lose their freedom. The Jews considered tax collectors traitors. They were greedy, selfish, ruthless, and had no empathy for others. Because they were hated, they were isolated, except from people like themselves.
Luke’s gospel tells the story of how Zacchaeus’ life changed, and the lives of many others that he had unfairly taxed after Jesus visited Jericho. By this time in his ministry, Jesus’ reputation as a miracle worker and wise rabbi preceded him. Crowds followed him through the streets, and he came to a tree and saw Zacchaeus in it. Being short of stature, Zacchaeus had climbed up the tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Jesus called him by name and told him to come down so he could go to his house and have a meal with him. The people were not pleased that Jesus spent his time with “a sinner.”
The result of their meeting was that Zacchaeus told Jesus he was going to give half of what he had to the poor, and if he had cheated anybody out of anything, he would pay that person back four times what he took from them. Zacchaeus was not just sorry for his actions, he was going to make amends with those he had wronged.
Making amends to those we have wronged is not an easy thing. Some people don’t want to restore a relationship, give us a second chance, or hear any of our apologies. It is true, words don’t mean a lot without actions. Zacchaeus planned to back up his words with actions. I picture Zacchaeus sitting down with his ledger and making a list of people he had cheated through the years.
For a person who loved money, paying them people back four times what he took from them would have been painful and likely would not have left him with much money. He may have gone from being one of Jericho’s wealthiest people to being as destitute as the rest of them.
But spiritually, Zacchaeus found his way! Jesus showed him that the Kingdom of God was not about greed, selfishness, and fulfilling one’s own desires. Instead, it was about loving God and serving others—loving them as you would love yourself.
This is step eight in Alcoholics Anonymous: “Made a list of all persons we harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”
This is what Zacchaeus was doing after Jesus left his house in Jericho that day. Zacchaeus’ addiction was money. It was greed. It was power. He was taking from others because he could.
Zacchaeus made a list. He kept it either in his head or he wrote it down, but he likely needed to write the names of those he’d wronged so he wouldn’t leave out anyone.
When an alcoholic is drinking, the only person they care about is themselves. Feeding their addictive habit, alcoholics lie, cheat, steal, break trust, abuse, make excuses, behave recklessly, spend excessively, and shift priorities. They become insecure, insensitive, impulsive, secretive, defensive, manipulative, easily aggravated, withdrawn, prone to isolation, and will not listen to reason.
While not every alcoholic exhibits every one of these character flaws, most have exhibited enough of them to damage many relationships to protect their drinking habits.
In step eight, the alcoholic takes the time to reflect on the people who have been affected, wounded, and damaged by their actions.
This is a difficult task. This must be an honest assessment. Admitting that we have wounded people, even if that was not our intention, takes humility. The alcoholic may be awash in guilt and shame, but these emotions should not prohibit the alcoholic from doing the hard work of completing this step. It is necessary for sobriety and necessary for healing oneself and the relationships one has damaged.
Zacchaeus was a wee little man, but it took a big man to make a list of those he needed to make amends to. Zacchaeus was empowered by Jesus. Jesus reminds us that even amid the mistakes we have made, we have worth in His sight and redemption is possible.
This is the path to overcoming guilt and shame. It’s important to lean into these emotions and confront one’s past. While Zacchaeus may have felt some guilt or shame from what he did to his Jewish neighbors in Jericho, it seems Jesus appealed to the greater good within Zacchaeus—his ability to change.
We cannot undo the pain we have caused others, but we can work toward restoration. We can seek to make amends and see what that may look like with each person we have wronged.
Making amends is an important step in sobriety. It helps makes healing possible, both for the offender and for the offended. It starts with making a list.