Today’s Thoughts: In today’s Gospel we meet one of the most recognizable characters in Scriptures - Zacchaeus. And once again, we experience the Great Reversal theme in Luke’s Gospel that we have been hearing about throughout the summer and fall. Today reversal – the lost will be found! Today’s Gospel is the continuation or second half of last week’s Gospel. It is another story that emphasizes Jesus’ invitation to forgiveness and newness of life.
Zacchaeus has some struggles. He is small. He is a tax collector for the occupying Roman Empire, which means he takes money from the Jewish people, his own people. He himself is rich, which puts him at odds with his neighbors. In a strange way on the one hand, he is, by being small, below others, but by his occupation, he has made himself above others. In our story he climbs a tree to just catch a glimpse of Jesus who was passing that way. Zacchaeus literally puts himself above his neighbors, but at a safe distance from Jesus, not wanting to be seen or encountered. The story tells us that Zacchaeus put himself in a position to see, but it is Jesus who sees him first. In the previous chapter, (Luke 18, 26) there is a big question about who can be saved. It follows the story of Jesus’ invitation to a young man to leave everything to follow him and the man could not do it, because of his many possessions. In our Gospel today Jesus’ decides to stay at the house of Zacchaeus. We might say that the result of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus is that tax collectors and all kinds of sinners can be saved if they allow themselves to be seen by Jesus. Jesus does not say anything about conversion or forgiving sins. He doesn’t tell Zacchaeus to give up his day-job, or his fortune. Jesus simply says that he desires to stay with this socially unaccepted person. In other words, he desires to know and be in a relationship with Zacchaeus. For Zacchaeus this means his life is going to change because Jesus has helped him see his dignity. He slides down the tree and welcomes Jesus joyfully. He also realizes that his life needs to change. He offers half of his wealth to the poor and is willing to fulfill the Jewish law of repayment by repaying those he may have overtaxed. Luke has Zacchaeus do what the man in the previous chapter could not do, he gives of what he has in order to help others. Thus, we might say an encounter with Jesus is a call to conversion; Jesus meets us, and the hope of this encounter is that our life changes, that there is difference in our actions. The Gospel continues with the grumbling bystanders making a prophetic announcement: “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” The story ends with Jesus restating his mission of seeking and saving the “lost”. This is central to Luke’s presentation of Jesus. Jesus is the One who came to see and find Zacchaeus, who like the Prodigal Son, was lost and is now found. Jesus has come to take up residence with us. I often wonder about all the people whom Jesus finds, forgives, heals, - how did they live the remainder of their lives, how did their lives change? Each of them had a past that they live. They had to live with their histories. People knew Zachaeus, they know who and what he was before his encounter with Jesus. He lived among his Jewish townsfolk from whom he had collected taxes and they knew him as wealthier than perhaps he should have been. Zacchaeus himself had to live with himself as well. This is not easy for any of us to do either. The message for us today is that God’s forgiveness is not a legal arrangement, but personal invitation that hopefully changes our lives. God desires that we live free, free from the past, free to encounter and live a hope filled future. Once we have encountered the forgiving touch of Jesus out task is to extend it to others. We are invited by grace to offer forgiveness to those we encounter who are seeking God even though we may know their sinful pasts. The Apostle Paul had his sinful past; St. Augustine had a sinful past as did many of the people we call saints today. But like Zacchaeus they were invited to climb down from their trees of inferiority, of struggle, of distance in order to meet Jesus, and that made all the difference them – and so it can for us too. Have a great, holy and blessed Sunday everyone!
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
May 2023
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