Yesterday's IBRA notes were around the far too familiar story of Zaccheus but here were a couple of useful pointers between the two sets of notes.

Zaccheus was a wealthy man yet he accepted Jesus' self invitation to his home and allowed this rag-tag crew to dine in his rather posh abode.  The questions was posed, how willing would we be to allow slightly grubby itinerants into our houses?

Zaccheus gave away vast quantities of money, at least on this one occasion.  The question was posed, how willing would those of us who have money be to give it away?  How much are we investing for a more comfortable future for ourselves (beyond prudent pension provision) in a world where many are in need?  tricky question to ask in the wealthy West End of Glasgow where most people are pretty comfortably off.

There is nothing to suggest that Zaccheus either stopped being a chief tax-collector or moved to a smaller, more modest house, let along left everything to follow Jesus, but he certainly learned to see his material wealth in a very different way.

An interesting tale to set alongside that of the woman in the Temple who gave 'all she had to live on'.  Presumably Zaccheus was still giving from his plenty?  Maybe he could serve as a 'type' (for those into such language) for middle class professionals today?