Today's Readings
Tuesday of the thirty third week in ordinary week.
Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22
Ps 15:2-5 (with Rev. 3:21)
Luke 19:1-10
Atithi Devo Bhava’ is an ancient Indian tradition of hospitality, synonymous with treating a guest like God. Luke tells us about Zacchaeus’ experience with a guest who was truly God himself – an invitation that would change his life forever!
Yesterday and today’s Gospel passages speak eloquently of the need to encounter Christ at all costs. The blind man we read about yesterday would not stop shouting until he was brought to the Lord. Today a short and very unpopular man named Zacchaeus runs back and forth among the crowd until finally, in his determination to encounter Christ, he breaks all protocol and scrambles up a tree. Jesus wastes no time in entering decisively this tax collector’s life and transforming it. This resembles our own encounter with Christ. At times different obstacles stand in our way and prevent us from seeing Our Lord and his action in our lives. Above all we lack determination. How easy it is to craft excuses: “I am just too short,” “Maybe Jesus is too busy,” “I am just a sinner.” If we really want Our Lord to stay at our house, he will, but there may be trees that we need to climb first.
Many times, we see in the gospels that when people asked Jesus for an instruction, he responded with an invitation. He invited them to follow the truth instead of blindly making up laws based on derivations and assumptions. He invited the young man with many possessions to leave them all and follow him. He invited the children to come and listen to him. However, this time Jesus invites himself to the house of Zacchaeus.
Why Zacchaeus? Just before this passage, Luke wrote about a blind man who gained healing by calling out to Jesus, even addressing him as ‘Son of David’. He recognized Jesus for who he truly was, God. Zacchaeus too, could not see Jesus. He climbed up a Sycamore tree to get a glimpse. In his case, it was Jesus who turned his gaze towards him and called him out of his perch. Standing amidst the herd of people who despised Zacchaeus for being a tax-collector, Jesus chose him. He accepted him, and dined with him.
Ironically, a reputation of sinfulness or weakness can sometimes become an asset. Zacchaeus was almost universally disliked because he gathered taxes from his people for the Romans. Because few liked him, he did not have to worry about impressing anyone. When Jesus came to town, a more respectable person might have thought twice about climbing a tree, but Zacchaeus had no such inhibition. He wanted to see Jesus passing by. And because Zacchaeus forgot himself enough to climb that tree, he caught Jesus’s attention, which ended up being the biggest blessing of his life.
What changed? Zacchaeus made haste to meet Jesus. He was excited, thrilled and overflowing with joy. On the inside, he was transformed too. He repented and committed to make restitution, without any persuasion. Something had changed inside him. Such a deep conversion can only take place when someone truly encounters God’s love. Jesus calls us also to embrace holiness as we begin to journey with him. Sometimes, we might have to call for God’s attention; amidst the chaos, we want him to hear us. He will usher us down from our high pedestals and invite himself over to dine with us, and save us.
Our own moments of conversion are much less dramatic. It is easy to be lukewarm, like the Church of Laodicea. If we are lukewarm, we are not really bad; we help the poor, a little; we are sympathetic, sometimes; we are forgiving, towards a select few. We practice our Christianity half-heartedly. Maybe the Lord would prefer that we were sinners, capable of conversion, rather than “lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,” standing up for nothing and just taking the easy option all the time.
Notice that once Zacchaeus climbed the tree, Jesus did the follow-up. Jesus zeroed in on him and gave him personal attention and affirmation. How did Zacchaeus respond? He quickly descended from the tree and welcomed Jesus with delight. He had so much enthusiasm - so much presence of God within him - that he wanted to quadruple the penance for his sins!
Can we pray more fervently? Sing in Mass more loudly? Serve more eagerly? Immerse ourselves in scripture more hungrily? Donate our treasures more generously? The higher our level of enthusiasm, the more we're living "in God."
Lord, increase my faith, hope, and love. I want to be your envoy to those in need of your presence in their lives. Help me to notice them, to greet them, to befriend them and to serve them in your name. Help me to be willing to do whatever it takes to grow in a deeper friendship with you. Don’t allow me to worry about the murmurings of the crowd, but only to listen to your voice and respond to it with generosity. Jesus, I trust in You.
Today by God's grace, make one little public act of faith, whether it be making the sign of the cross in front of a Church or saying “God bless” to someone. The Lord be with you.
