THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
30 OCTOBER 2022
Three
details about Zacchaeus help us understand the power of this Gospel. First, we know that he is short in
height. There is a reason that Saint
Luke tells ss that Zacchaeus is short in height, when no Gospel provides
details of the physical characteristics of Jesus Christ. We rely on the imaginations of artists to
visualize what our Savior looked like.
Perhaps Zacchaeus had been made fun of throughout his childhood and
given derogatory nicknames for his stature.
He was more than likely bullied.
Could he have made a childhood vow: “one day, they will look up to
me?” He could have learned to be
ruthless in the loneliness and isolation of his childhood. He is not the first or the last whose bruised
adulthood began with childhood mistreatment.
The second
detail about Zacchaeus is that he is very rich. He has gotten rich by working
with the hated Roman occupation forces to rip off his own people. Tax collectors collected taxes well above
what the Romans required and kept the rest for themselves. The local community hates him for his
ruthless means of becoming rich. Earlier
in Saint Luke’s Gospel, Jesus met a rich young man who wanted to follow
him. When Jesus told him to give away
his wealth, he walked away sad. At least
he was a good man who lived the commandments.
Not Zacchaeus! He is the town’s
chief sinner according to every religious, political, or polite standard.
The Gospel
of Saint Luke warns us about the dangers of wealth for disciples. We heard the parable of the rich farmer who
dies while planning to build bigger barns to enlarge his wealth. We heard the parable about the rich man who
ends up in torment because he has ignored the plight of Lazarus. We heard that it is easier for a camel to
pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to be saved. Will Jesus condemn anyone who is wealthy?
The answer
is no. That is why the third detail
about Zacchaeus is so important. He may
be embarrassing himself by climbing the sycamore tree to see Jesus. Jesus wants to see him. Jesus had intended to pass through Jericho on
his way up to Jerusalem. When Jesus sees
him, he calls him to come down and invites himself to dinner at his house. Jesus looks at him with love, even though he
knows his sins. Zacchaeus responds and
promises to give half of his wealth to the poor. He promises to repay those he has defrauded
four times over. No matter how much the
people of Jericho may hate him for the ways in which he has cheated them, Jesus
sees the potential in him. By loving
him, his grace transforms him into who Zacchaeus really is: a child of
Abraham. It is possible for the camel to
pass through the eye of a needle.
Last week,
we pilgrims passed through Jericho, where we saw a huge sycamore tree. Throughout our pilgrimage, we visited many
sacred sites associated with the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The local Catholics
call the Holy Land “the fifth Gospel,” because the actual places have the power
to deepen what we learn from the four Gospels.
We encountered Jesus Christ in new and unexpected ways as we traveled
“the fifth Gospel.” Through those
encounters, we encountered one another in our huge group of 93 pilgrims in new
ways. That is what this encounter
between Jesus and Zacchaeus teaches us.
We tend to write off those whom we find offensive. We easily dismiss the possibility that those
are doing wrong can change. As the Book
of Wisdom reminds us, God creates only what is good. We too can respond to the invitation of Jesus
to come down from our sycamore tree to dine with him. As this Eucharistic banquet, we join everyone
in trusting in the transforming love of Jesus Christ that gives everyone a
chance to turn more completely to him and his manner of loving.
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