Sr. Bincy Thumpanathu CMC
READING : “He came to Jericho intending to pass through the town. Now a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” He came down quickly and received him with joy” (Luke 19:1-6).
REFLECTION : The story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who lived in Jericho is well-known. In Jesus’ day choosing tax collecting as a career was frowned upon and with good reason. Tax collectors were employed by the Romans to collect taxes on behalf of the emperor. As they were not paid a set wage, they demanded excessive amounts from the people, keeping the surplus for themselves. This amounted to blatant extortion, leaving the people in very poor circumstances. Because of this tax collectors were despised by the people and were generally regarded as sinners.
On hearing that Jesus would be passing through Jericho Zacchaeus felt this overwhelming desire to see him, so he joined the throng that had gathered there, all with the same ambition. He was unable to get to the front and was too short to see over the heads of the people, so he needed to find some other means of catching sight of Jesus. He managed to climb a nearby sycamore tree and perched high among the branches he had a perfect view of proceedings. When Jesus came close, he sensed Zacchaeus longing to be seen and he fixed his gaze upon him. Then to the surprise of all those present, Jesus called him by name “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today” (Lk 19:5). The tone of the words “I must stay at your house,” suggest that this was something preordained and not the result of a casual meeting. Thereupon began the conversion of Zacchaeus.
Regarding the conversion there is much to reflection. Replacing his previous preferences for taking, is a desire to be more giving, learning to love freely. He found joy in distributing his wealth and possessions. “Look, Lord! I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody, I will pay him back four times the amount.” (Lk 19:8). This echoes the urgings seen earlier in Luke 12:33, “sell your possessions and give to those in need.” Moreover, he came to be more understanding and loving of others and joined in solidarity with the poor.
The story of Zacchaeus perfectly captures the message of the Gospel and the transforming power of God’s grace. There are moments in our lives too when we sin and there is a need for repentance. When we atone for our sins we also ask for the grace of God to strengthen us in our resolve not to sin again. When we welcome Jesus into our hearts true conversion takes place. A genuine change of heart works to shape our character and to amend our lives. It concludes with the affirmation that this is truly a story of salvation. Jesus said to him, “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” (Lk 19:9-10). With this, the people come to understand the purpose of Jesus’ mission.
PRAYER : Jesus sought out Zacchaeus and asked to stay with him, even though he was a known sinner and was held in contempt by the people. Zacchaeus was so happy that Jesus turned to him and was delighted to welcome him into his house. Lord, we too are waiting for your call. Cast your merciful gaze upon us. Like Zacchaeus, we are sorry for all that we have done wrong. Lord visit us too. Enter into our hearts and transform our lives.
CONTEMPLATION : Sit comfortably, close your eyes and shut out all distractions. Listen to the gentle promptings of the Lord as you meditate in silence on Zacchaeus’ transformation:
• “Zacchaeus, I must stay at your house today.” Try to realize the significance of this request of the Lord. He is still calling each one of us by name and asking us to come down from our lofty place in the trees.
• Zacchaeus mended his ways after encountering Jesus. He recognized and corrected his past mistakes and made things right. He began to live a different, more fulfilling life after his encounter with Jesus and we too can share in this.
ACTION : May the attitude of Jesus towards sinners challenge us too.
Have compassion on those who sin and stray from the Lord.
Never neglect the poor and the marginalised.
