VA Pastor: Zacchaeus Was ‘Oppressed’ And Jesus Helped Him With ‘Affirmative Action’

A Virginia pastor tries to turn the story of Zacchaeus into support for ethnic prejudice in college admissions (i.e. affirmative action). Dwight Riddick, Sr., of Gethsemane Baptist Church says the wealthy tax collector was “oppressed” and a “second-class citizen” because of his height. “Jesus saw Zacchaeus and he levels of the playing field. Jesus institutes an affirmative action program.”

This past week, the Supreme Court ruled that affirmative action was unconstitutional in permitting colleges and universities to take into consideration race when it comes to their admissions standards. This was and is a major blow in America, a country that is already struggling and who has been working hard to achieve racial equality. And now, the hands of the clock have been more than turned back, it almost feels as though the hands up the clock has been torn off.

…In our story today, we find a familiar character, we’ve called him Zacchaeus….Zacchaeus was a man who was hated. He was a man who, in every sense of the word was at a place of disadvantage. He faced life with doors constantly being closed in his face….(he) suffered and experienced oppression. Not because of anything, but he’s made in a contribution to, he was just born this way.

He didn’t have anything at all to do with his physical stature. He was just born this way and only grew to a certain stature and now because of his physical appearance, he’s being oppressed, he’s been pushed to the side, he’s been marginalized. He’s been discriminated against. Here he is, a short man in a tall world. He is the minority among apparently everybody else on the street that day.

He continues:

..And I know you’re gonna tell me that He was despised because he was a tax collector, he had treated other people wrong, he had overcharged them the taxes due. But I argue today, never mind the fact that he’s rich and a tax collector, he’s still a person who has been the target of hate. And no one likes to be hated. I don’t care who you are, you don’t want people hating on you. Nobody likes to be pushed aside. No one likes to be denied access, have doors closed in their face, and feel as though they’re always hitting the glass ceiling.

And here is Zacchaeus. A short man in a tall world. When Zacchaeus could not get a space in front of others for he could see Jesus, he is forced to settle for a secondary substandard viewing position…this tree was not the best seat in the house. It was not on equal footing with the rest. It was where short people had to go if they were to see the guests passing by.

…Jesus knew that Zacchaeus being in that tree was an indication that Zacchaeus had been put in a place where he’s being made to feel as though he’s a second class citizen. People who are well thought of and treated equal do not meet Jesus in trees. People who are well thought of and treated as equals, do not meet Jesus in trees. They meet him on ground level.

And then concludes:

Jesus saw Zacchaeus and he levels the playing field. Jesus institutes an affirmative action program. The Bible says Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus’ house. Notice that Zacchaeus was the only one who had to climb the tree and he had to climb the tree to see Jesus because he was short and nobody would open the door and give him access to where Jesus was.

But when Jesus comes by, Jesus said ‘man come on down.’ He said, ‘I tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to your house today.’ There were a whole lot of people in Jericho on that day, a whole lot of people who wanted to see Jesus but Jesus chose one to spend time with. Jesus only went to Zacchaeus his house.

When everybody else has shut the door on Zacchaeus, God who opened the door. Others hated Zacchaeus, denied him the opportunity of access, but then Jesus comes along and gives him favor. Somebody thank God for favor.


h/t to WokePreacherTv for the title, intro and vid.

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8 thoughts on “VA Pastor: Zacchaeus Was ‘Oppressed’ And Jesus Helped Him With ‘Affirmative Action’

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  2. Preaching division, racism and victimhood from the pulpit. This isn’t a pastor, this is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There will be a heavy price to pay for leading people astray.

  3. Ups I de down theology. Zaccheus eas a member of the oppressor class, as a tax collector. That’s the reason he was hated.

    Jesus came to him because he had come to see Jesus, maybe seeking redemption or to get some good news.

    The difference that makes all the difference is that by blessing Zaccheus in his repentance, NOB ODY ELSE lost out.

    With Jesus there is no zero-sum game. Everybody wins. A few loaves and fishes get multiplied. Jesus does NOT have any “affirmative action” policy.

    A WHOSOEVER WILL policy. “Hw that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

  4. No, affirmative action would be analogous to everyone else being made to step aside so Zacchaeus could get to the front. Yet instead of taking someone else’s place, or demanding or expecting that others let him through, Zacchaeus put forth the effort to run ahead along the road, climbed the tree, and then waited for Jesus to pass by.

    Nobody tried to stop him from seeing Jesus. That’s not in the scripture.

    The Lord provided him a way to see Jesus. But he had to put forth some effort and work for it.

  5. I’m surprised this impastor didn’t wrap in a demand for reparations because of Zaccheus’s stated desire to repay those he had defrauded. That would have been a slam dunk

  6. This is the dumbest thing I’ve read all week, but then I haven’t read about Mike Todd and the Hillsong yahoo Dooley crowd surfing at a “worship” service yet.

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