31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YR C
Wis 11:22-12:2; Ps 145
2 Thes 1:11-12; Lk 19:1-10
STUNNED BY MERCY
“…and you over look men’s sins that they may repent”(Wisdom 11:22). These words from the first reading of today offers us a good introduction to the gospel reading from Luke 19:1-10.
It is the Story of Zacchaeus and his encounter with Jesus. The story begins by giving us his name but what was important was that he was a chief tax collector and rich. He lived in Jericho. A big business area. This gives us an idea of how rich this man was. He was very rich. And he desired to see Jesus.
Now this is the problem. Why would somebody like Zacchaeus desire to see Jesus. A sinner like him. In fact he was a rich public sinner.
He desired to see Jesus because he had heard a lot about him, and knew that an encounter with him will open up a world of transforming possibilities for him.
But he was short or small in stature. And the crowd would be delighted to keep him away from the Lord. They will be happy to work together to push him around and away from the Lord. The smallness of his stature is not only about his physical appearance but also about his social status. It meant that upon all his money and wealth he couldn’t buy influence. This brings to mind what I heard one wise man said: influence does not require affluence.
Zacchaeus would not be admitted at the Temple. He faced rejection, isolation and anger from his own people and those who are to help him. Strangely the meaning of his name ‘Zacchaeus’ is “righteous”. But he cannot go to the Temple because he was judged to be unworthy and unclean. For “who shall climb the mountain of the Lord, the man with clean hands and pure heart…”(Psalm 24:3).
With all these inadequacies in himself and rejection from social and religious authorities and friends, his desire to see Jesus was his only hope. This desire to see Jesus was not just a casual gaze upon a popular teacher but a desire to be transformed and accepted by him. It was a search for one who can give him a second chance. And it was only Jesus who could give that.
To get this he has to run ahead of the crowd to find a place to encounter Jesus. He has to do something new. What new things did he do?
He exercised humility and simplicity by running and climbing a tree. To run in humility and simplicity is to regard ourselves unimportant. We must leave out our sense of importance which has been borne out of our positions or wealth. You come to him as you are. Mere man needing divine help. Come to church with this attitude of humility and simplicity and see how transforming your worship will be. When we run in humility and simplicity with the desire to see the Lord, something great happens: He reveals himself to us, he restores us and he transforms us.
When Jesus came to Zacchaeus he said “Zacchaeus come down, I must stay in your house today…” (Lk 19:5). He called him by his name. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine the feeling and shock of Zacchaeus to hear Jesus call his name? That is restoration. He who was removed from the Temple and banned from coming into the presence of God, now has God coming to him. Wow!!. God’s mercy is bigger and beyond any human restrictions and prejudice. May God visit anyone who has been shut off from him. You may have given up on yourself but today Jesus restores a relationship with you.
This encounter reveals to Zacchaeus that he is loved so much. When he gazes into the Heart of the Lord this revelation transforms him and the effect is immediate. He promises to take care of the poor and make restitution for all those he has cheated. Zacchaeus immediately sees the poor as he has this intimate gaze upon the loving heart of the lord. He was indeed shocked by the mercy and love of Jesus. May Jesus shock you too with his mercy this week.
When our encounter with the Lord is sincere, restoration is sure and transformation is genuine. Christian obligation then becomes joyous and fulfilling.
May our humble and simple worship of the Lord lead to a revelation, a restoration and a transformation in our lives. The Zacchaeus story is our story also.
God bless us.
By Fr. Delight Arnold Carbonu
