What is mankind?

If, before he met Jesus in Luke 19:1-10, you’d asked Zaccheus his philosophy of living, he might have said, “Every man for himself. Get all you can while you can.”  Contrast #1: Zaccheus before and after It’s safe to surmise he was happy with the way life was going. Vast wealth sufficiently compensated whatever pangs were caused by putting himself at odds with his countrymen as a tax collector for Rome. But now? Now that Jesus had called him by name, was staring him in the face, had invited Himself to his home? Suddenly Zaccheus’ belief system was no comfort. Was he able to meet Jesus’ gaze? Maybe other faces had flashed before his eyes—faces of men glaring, wives crying, children cowering, old people shivering—as he took their money. He hadn’t cared if they were evicted from their homes, or went to bed hungry, or sold themselves into slavery.  But now? Holiness Himself, Jesus commanded obedience. Jesus reminded Zaccheus of how the wealth that allowed him to hold his head high...