"Zacchaeus, come down quickly, I must stay at your house."
The Word: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103022.cfm
The late Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, famously said to a large gathering of wealthy supporters in the Archdiocese of Chicago: "The poor need you to draw them out of poverty, and you need the poor to keep you out of Hell."
That
may sound tough, but it is true. It’s not just about throwing money at a problem
but taking concrete steps to help eliminate it out of compassion for those in
need and “on the margins” as Pope Francis often reminds us. To recognize the poor man who sits at our door, not an easy or comfortable thing.
We are well aware of Jesus’ sometimes harsh teaching on
the danger of riches. Through parables
of the rich and poor, such as Lazarus and the rich man, he warns his disciples
about how difficult it can be for the rich to embrace his words. It the time of Jesus, riches were seen as a
blessing from God, while the “sinners” or the sickly were cursed because of
their sin. So, as the impression went,
God rewards good and righteous behavior while he punishes transgressions. A
very black/white image of God as judge and arbiter.
Jesus’ teaching was far more about the dangers of greed
and selfishness rather than riches themselves.
Let’s face it; it’s nice to have nice things. And the ever-present
concern about being consumed by them in pursuit of more.
This Sunday’s Gospel points to a man who was indeed
financially wealthy, Zacchaeus a culturally despised tax collector who became
wealthy by squandering his money from others.
Despite all of that, this man was delighted that Jesus had chosen him
for a visit.
I’ve always found humorous and charming this story of Jesus’
odd encounter with a man named Zacchaeus. First, he was “short of
stature.” That may not seem like much to
us but the average adult height in Jesus’ time was about 5’8”. So, Zacchaeus must have been short enough that
standing behind the crowd blocked his view all together. He must have appeared odd to others. At the
same time, climbing up a tree in Jesus's view would undoubtedly get his
attention.
In spite of these negatives, Zacchaeus remained
determined to “see who Jesus was.” Considering Zacchaeus reputation, why would
he want to see Jesus? For some financial
or professional gain? As the story continues, we see more virtuous motives. While he is hoping for unobstructed vision of this great man, it is ultimately Jesus who is searching for Zacchaeus.
Luke tells us that Jesus “intended to pass through the
town.” That is Jericho which sits
hundreds of feet below Jerusalem out in the desert. So, the clue is perhaps that Jesus encounter
with Zacchaeus was an unexpected surprise for him. Yet, our Lord stops at the sight of this odd little man peering down above him
from a sycamore tree.
Jesus looks up and speaks to him: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” It sounds as if indeed that the Lord spotted his target. It
seems that Zacchaeus is caught off guard.
Perhaps all he wanted was the sight of this famous preacher and wonder
worker passing by, like catching a glimpse of a movie star or famous sports
figure or the Pope in St. Peter Square.
Unexpectedly impressed Zacchaeus scurries down the tree
to welcome him. But Jesus is publicly criticized by the
crowd. Is there no shame or limit to who this rabbi will hang out with? The Lord
ignores the critical chatter and focuses on this little man above him.
Zacchaeus boldly defends himself and promises to very
generously “give to the poor” or to “repay “anyone he may have “extorted.” So moved was he by Jesus complimentary
request, that he took a stand to proclaim his gratitude, now recognizing his failures and wanting to make amends.
Jesus wants to come to Zacchaeus's house, which more implies: Zacchaeus,
I want to enter your personal space; your deepest heart. When the Lord enters our life, he does so on his
terms taking us as we are and calling us to conversion; to understand the
message of the good news and all the demands it makes of us not as a burden but
as a new beginning, a new direction to our life with Christ Jesus as the
center. We can only hope that Zacchaeus
and his family were forever deeply changed by such a personal encounter with the Lord.
Is there room in your “home” for the Lord? Where would he be allowed to go and what
would be off limits? With God there is no personal space only a constant
invitation to love and mercy. And so we are reminded about God’s constant
search for our hearts. In so many ways,
Jesus displayed this divine intent in his parables – think of the father in the
Prodigal Son who we assume was deeply touched by his father’s love and mercy
that he never went back to what he was. It
is not our personal wealth which Jesus cares about, but a heart that longs for
something more. To one who has been
given much, more will be expected. Zacchaeus’s desire to see who Jesus was must
have been born of an inner emptiness or a perceived need – “Is this all there
is?”
God does not condemn and punish; he searches and longs
for our response. For our desire to find
him who is a treasure beyond any earthly wealth. Maybe we deliberately hide from the Lord at
times? Maybe we close the doors of our
home hoping the Lord will not come to visit? We’d rather stand behind the crowd
and hope we’re not sighted. Yet, God
knows our hearts and hopes we find him who is searches for us.
Our first reading from the Book of Wisdom reminds us that
all which God has created has great value in his sight: “But you have mercy on
all . . . you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.” Jesus didn’t grill Zacchaeus about his past
transgressions. He didn’t shake his
finger and call him to task. He rather asked permission to come to Zacchaeus
and reveal to him God’s desire. He longs to “abide” with Zacchaeus that through
his presence and mercy, this man will forever be changed, the new Zacchaeus
indeed through God’s abundant mercy.
While we must never minimize our sin but face it for the
truth, we need not fear God for he already knows our hearts and our lives. In the sacrament of Reconciliation, we
encounter this same God who invites a sinner to repent and begin a new way, now
forgiven and healed. No matter how many times we confess, if we do so in
sincere intent, opening the doors of our “home” to the Lord, he will come!
And so our celebration of the Holy Eucharist is a
perpetual memory of what God has done for us through the outpouring of his
Son’s love for humanity. He searches and
longs for each of us as he revealed to us when he came to visit this home, we
call planet earth.
who love the human race
and who always walk with us on the journey of life.
Blessed indeed is your son,
present in our midst
when we are gathered by his love
and when, as once for the disciples, so now for us,
he opens the Scriptures and breaks the bread.
(From Eucharistic Prayer IV in use
for Masses in various needs)
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