Word to the Wise
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 - Tuesday in the 33th Week in Ordinary Time
[Rev 3:1-6, 14-22 and Luke 19:1-10]At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zaccheus, who was a chief tax collector and also 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........
The Gospel of Luke has many wonderful stories that do not appear in the other three gospels: The Good Samaritan, The Rich Man and Lazarus, The Prodigal Son, The Two Men Praying in the Temple all are found only in Luke. The same is true for today's story, and it is a charmer! The opening lines, highlighted above, make one pay attention! Zaccheus' curiosity is so strong that he runs ahead of the crowd and climbs a tree in order to see Jesus! (Sunday school children learn to sing: "Zaccheus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was heeeee...) A "wee little man" becomes "great" as a result of his encounter with Jesus! Zaccheus' position as a tax collector made him one of the "lowest of the low" in the estimation of the public, but Jesus "exalts" him. No one who seeks Jesus will be turned away if they repent! Zaccheus' repentance is dramatic: half of his possessions to the poor and repayment in quadruple for any tax extortion!
Zaccheus begins with his curiosity, which Jesus takes advantage of by inviting himself to Zaccheus' house! Zaccheus' openness to Jesus' action and his willingness to stand up to the critical crowd result in salvation! Jesus says: "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost." Are we afraid to let our curiosity about Jesus show for fear that he will come to our house and take over our life and we won't be the same again? Are we sure that we have "found" Jesus and maybe put him in a safe place so that he doesn't bother us too much. That might be one way of being "lost!" Zaccheus - that "wee little man" - has some great things to teach us! AMEN