A festive evening at Times Square... -- Image by Ian Dunlop from Pixabay
A Modern Retelling of "Zacchaeus the Tax Collector"
Zeke Callahan was the kind of guy who made your blood boil. Hedge fund tycoon, CNBC regular, famous for flipping struggling companies, laying off half the staff, and then bragging about "streamlining inefficiencies." He wore thousand-dollar sneakers with tailored suits, cruised in a Maybach, and was despised by pretty much everyone outside of Wall Street.
One fall afternoon, word spread fast: a famous speaker known for changing lives, much like and at the level of Tony Robbins, was in New York. There he was going to stop briefly at Times Square to shake hands and have an opportunity to take photos with him, then off to Madison Square Garden to give a talk.
Crowds swarmed, spilling into the streets. Everyone wanted a glimpse. Everyone except Zeke — who told himself he didn't care.
But curiosity gnawed at him. He slipped into the crowd, tried to edge closer, but people shoved him back. "Back off, leech!" someone yelled. "Go bankrupt a lemonade stand somewhere else!" He craned his neck — nothing. Zeke was short, and the crowd wasn't budging.
Desperate, he started looking for alternative ways to, at least, see this famous speaker. Wrapped around a trendy juice bar, he spotted scaffolding. It was at a perfect location, the edge of Times Square.
Zeke got behind the crowd and ran to the juice bar building. Without a second thought, the billionaire hedge fund shark scrambled up in his $5,000 suit.
The crowd erupted in laughter. Someone yelled out, "Careful, don't rip the suit — it's worth more than my 401k!" Phones came out instantly. TikToks went viral: "Wall Street monkey climbing scaffolding ๐๐ฐ #ScaffoldZeke."
Now, this famous speaker was shaking hands, taking selfies, and waving to everyone. He looked up and noticed Zeke leaning over the railing of the scaffolding. Pointing at Zeke, he asked him to come down and meet with him.
Not exactly sure of what was going on, Zeke gently climbed down. He nervously shook the man's hand. Now, the famous speaker was tall and well built. He looked like he could be a tight end in the NFL. Zeke looked way up and was still quite nervous as to why he was selected. This big man had a calming effect on people, and they had a very short, pointed conversation.
Zeke found himself being invited to Madison Square Garden as his guest. Afterward, there was to be a fine dinner.
The crowd had fallen quiet. Many of them knew Zeke, and not in a good way. They could not understand how a man of this power would hang with the likes of Zeke. Much to the dislike of the crowd, Zeke joined the entourage and got into the limousine. They left a bewildered crowd.
After the speech on motivation, self-help, and being calm, Zeke joined them in the back room. This big, somewhat intimidating man looked at Zeke, "You look to be a man of real means. Let's do something quite different. It is still early, and we are all hungry. I'll order the food and, if it is OK with you, let's eat at your place."
That was the easiest "Yes" he had ever made.
That evening, in Zeke's penthouse overlooking the city, everyone was feasting on Prime Rib and Lobster. Something was troubling Zeke. He asked, "You make a lot of money doing these lectures. I'm curious, what do you do with all that money?"
"That is a simple question. I keep some for myself and my family. I take great care to be sure the people who work for me are well taken care of, and a fair portion goes to various charities. Do you have a favorite charity I can donate to?"
Zeke put his head way down, for he had never given a dime to anyone for any reason. He had built his life on greed, putting the love of money above all else.
Something shifted inside of him, "You know, sir, I do not have a charity, I have never given a dime to anyone in my retched life. I have accumulated a sizeable amount of money. Can you guide me in giving to those who need it the most?"
He had Zeke sit down at the dining table, gathered up everyone he brought, and offered up a toast, "To this man, Zeke, who I would not have seen if he had not climbed up that scaffold in his $5,000 suit and priceless shoes. You have turned a corner to a more fulfilling life."
"To Zeke!" everyone toasted.
Wall Street still hummed on, but the beast with a verbal sword was silent. Zeke was still working with the hedge fund company, but helping people build themselves up, not tear down businesses.
A homeless family was given a new lease on life. They now have a nice apartment, rent paid for a year, dad was given a job based on his skill set, new clothes, and the kids went to school. They had no idea who their benefactor was.
We do.
That guy. His $5,000 suit is hanging in a garment bag in his closet, collecting dust. His new attire: blue jeans, a flannel shirt, and work boots as he assists in working on a new homeless shelter.
Based on Luke 19:1-10
Synopsis
Zacchaeus, the tax collector, climbed a tree to see Jesus, who called him down and transformed his life. This retelling swaps the tree for scaffolding and the taxes for hedge funds — but the punchline is the same: grace shows up in the most surprising places.
Tap to read the actual bible passage:
The parable of Zacchaeus the Tax Collector.
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