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Gospel: Luke 19: 1-10
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
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 in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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There’s often a deeper meaning beneath the words and stories in scripture. Today, for example, we hear the story of Zacchaeus, a man short in stature and hated by his neighbors.
When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is approaching his town, he rushes to see him. But his short stature and the presence of the crowds nearly prevent him. Desperate, Zacchaeus runs ahead like a child and climbs a sycamore tree.
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His short stature is symbolic of his tiny, budding faith. But, as Jesus says elsewhere, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you.”
Zacchaeus reminds the crowds – and us – that a hint of faith can change a life.
As for the crowds, they not only serve as a physical – but also a spiritual – barrier to entry. Having been cheated by him, they label Zacchaeus a “sinner.” And rightfully so.
But something in his heart has changed.
Perched up in that sycamore tree, he reaches a fork in the road. Will he accept the scornful label his neighbors have given him? Will he bury his budding faith and return to his man-made life of corruption? Or will he mend his ways?
“Lord, half of my possessions,” he says, “I shall give to the poor.”
Zacchaeus not only reminds us that faith comes at a cost, but also that people can be reticent to believe we can change.
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This image of a tiny tax collector perched in a tree is also an image of a Christian at prayer.
From time to time, we all need to pause what we are doing, climb out of our busy schedules, and spend time with Jesus. In those precious, quiet moments, the Lord not only counsels us, but he also gives us the grace to change.
May Zacchaeus, a tax collector turned disciple, pray for us.
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Image credits: (1) Sermon Central (2) Adobe Stock (3) Redbubble