Reading of the Holy Gospel according to Luke 19, 1-10
Dear Parishioners,
"Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was." (Lk 19:2) Jesus shattered the norms of correctness and invited himself to dinner at Zacchaeus’ home. In the process, the restless tax collector was introduced into the Jesus game where you win by losing.
Luke is the only evangelist who brings us into the delightful Zacchaeus story. He does so, in part, to highlight the difference between the chief tax collector and the rich official who did not want to play the Jesus game. (Lk 18:18-23)
On the surface, the two men where dramatically different. One had all the right credentials of social acceptability. If the rich official were operating today, he surely would be a daily communicant and probably on the pastoral council of his parish council.
Zacchaeus was a low life. He not only would not go into the crowd to try to see Jesus because he was short. He knew it would be dangerous for him because as a tax collector for the despised Roman oppressors he was a hated man. On the other hand, both men shared that hunger in the heart that Jesus so easily surfaced by his presence and message.
Zacchaeus had to run ahead and climb a tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. The rich official was blessed with a close up and intimate encounter with the Lord.
After Jesus made his pitch the two men went in different directions. It is hard to find a more heartbreaking line in the Scripture than, “But when he heard this, he became quite sad, for he was very rich.” (Lk 18:23) He was not buying into the Jesus game.
Zacchaeus, however, got the message. He understood this saving encounter with Jesus had immediate and concrete consequences in his life. He opened up not only the purse strings, but much more importantly, his hurting heart. So Jesus could say in joy, “Today salvation has come to this house…For the Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost.” (Lk 19:9-10)
Zacchaeus rejoiced in the Jesus game where you win by losing. He became wealthy in a new way by freeing his heart of the burden of his old wealth that had made him a poor man.
Each day in our lives, we are open to the possibility of the Zacchaeus surprise. In the daily flow of our life, with its myriad relationships and responsibilities and experiences, Jesus is saying to us, “I mean to stay at your house today.” Like the beleaguered tax collector, we have the amazing opportunity to say yes to Jesus with a renewed hospitality. A new lease on life is Jesus daily gift to us.
