Readings
I - Wis. 11: 22 - 12: 2
II - 2 Thess. 1: 11 - 2: 2
III - Lk. 14: 1, 7-11
JESUS ENSURES NEW LIFE
Today’s Gospel passage is on about the conversion of Zacchaeus. An episode that is encouraging and consoling. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in Jericho, an Internal Revenue Service of his time for the Romans. Therefore he was also considered as a traitor to his nation and hated by everyone in the nation. Even Jesus acknowledges the hatred people had for tax collectors: “If they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector”. Zacchaeus was a rich using his position, overtaxing people. He had the full support of the Roman authorities and the people were powerless to stop him. Zacchaeus was small in stature. Zacchaeus already knew who Jesus was and that it was worth seeing him. Therefore he climbed up the tree to see Jesus. To his great surprise Jesus volunteered to be his guest in his house. The end result of the Zacchaeus episode was conversion of Zacchaeus followed by his salvation “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Just like Zacchaeus, Jesus must visit our house today. He has no requirements for us before he comes to visit. We don’t have to make all things right with all our dealings before letting him in. He already knows who we are and what shape our house is in. He wants to be there anyway. His presence and his love for us will lead us to do things we never thought we could do: even admitting where we have been wrong and making things right. We can easily assume that Zacchaeus lived a different, fuller life after this encounter with Jesus. And we can have the same experience. Let our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “Lord Jesus, come into my heart”.
