First Reading: Wisdom 11: 22 – 12: 2.
Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1: 11 – 2: 2.
Gospel: Luke 19: 1 – 10.
Today’s readings lead us to meditate on a concise expression of the delicate coordination of both divine initiative and human effort in the work of our salvation. They tell us how great and magnificent God is and how small we are before him. But God loves all his creation and out of love he created it. Man is given the power to know God and search for him and shelter under his glory.
In the Gospel of today Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus was not by chance. Jesus called him in a unique way. Zacchaeus had heard that Jesus was coming and out of curiosity, he wanted to see Him. We are also told that he was short in stature and, because of the crowd blocking his vision, he could not see Jesus. So, in spite of being a rich and important man, he did not hesitate to climb a tree to get a better look. He risked public ridicule to see Jesus. When Jesus saw Zacchaeus, he stopped there, asked him to come down the tree, and invited Himself to his home for a meal. Here Jesus saw a person’s heart, his search for repentance, and his hope for the future. Jesus looked at Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus looked at Jesus. Like all true seekers, Zacchaeus got more than he bargained for. So the surprising Tax Collector hurried down and was happy to welcome Jesus into his home. He was showing himself to be a man of feeling deeply touched by the kindness of Jesus. He responded to a moment of truth, the moment he knew of God’s love. We have to remember that the main character of the story is not Zaccheus but Jesus. Here we see the son of man in action, doing what he came to do. Those who sincerely desire a sight of Christ, like Zacchaeus, will break through opposition, and take pains to see him. Here we see Jesus inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house. Wherever Christ comes to any place or confronts any person he opens his own heart, and inclines it in such a way to receive the other. He that has a mind to know Jesus shall be known of him. Those, whom Christ calls, have to humble themselves like this tax collector and come down the tree of pride. Zacchaeus gave proof publicly that he became a true convert. Jesus has come to his house, and where Christ comes he brings salvation with him. He came into this lost world to seek and to save it. In this gospel passage, we perceive that Zacchaeus, after having met Jesus experienced a total detachment from his earthly possessions. This indeed is the reaction of meeting Jesus and experiencing him in the Gospel. Once a person encounters Jesus he cannot remain the same. We see it in the context of Peter and his companions, Matthew, Paul, and several others. The person is expected to change. This was the experience of Zaccheus. But Zacchaeus shows his extraordinary generosity. Instead of giving one-fifth over the goods unlawfully taken, he adds three times over to the person concerned. There is a message for us from the gospel passage of today. Very often we are not able to see Jesus in our lives because we are crowded out by other people and the way they think. To see Jesus clearly we often have to get away from the crowd and risk being different, risk losing our dignity. The word “holy” in Greek actually means someone who is different, someone set apart. We can imagine Zacchaeus’ surprise when Jesus looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” He would have been shocked to hear such warm words from the Master. He looked for Jesus and now Jesus was ready to build a personal relationship with him. We need to accept the Divine invitation for repentance. Jesus takes the initiative of knocking at the door of our souls, asking for entry. We have one thing in common with Zacchaeus: like him, we are all sinners, and we all need salvation. The total rehabilitation of a formerly sinful man accomplished by a process of discipleship: seeking, meeting, undergoing conversion, and following Jesus who is God. To refuse to admit that we are sinners is a fundamental impediment to the working of the mercy and grace of God in our hearts. Let us remember that Jesus loves us in spite of our ugly thoughts, broken promises, sullied ideals, lack of prayer and Faith, resentments, and lusts. He will put us back on the straight road to Heaven. We will become again true “sons and daughters of Abraham.” In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus, acting through the priest in the confessional, ministers to us individually, just as he interacted individually with Zacchaeus. As Zacchaeus did, we too, need to “come down,” to leave the perches of our pride and allow Jesus to go to work through his ministerial priests. How would we respond to Jesus’ demand, “I must stay at your house today?” How would we react to such an invitation? Would we be ready to welcome Jesus into our home? Indeed, Jesus has visited the homes of each and every one of us! Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we have received the indwelling Spirit of Christ within us. Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we receive the Divine Presence of the Lord. Further, if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us (1 Jn. 4:13). Hence, let us be thankful to the Lord for coming to us. For those of us who have not yet received the Lord into our homes and lives, it is never too late to repent and welcome Him. Our Lord is a God of Love, Grace and Mercy. He does not wish to see anyone lost. If we allow Jesus to enter our lives, our lives will change. Grace is the driving power behind this transformation. As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us pray for all of us who do not yet have the indwelling of the Lord God in our homes and lives. Let us ask the Lord to reach out to us all as he reached out to Zacchaeus. The result will be repentance, transformation, sanctification, salvation.