Author: admin

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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

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Gospel: Luke 18: 35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

I imagine the Lord saying the first part of that sentence – have sight – with ease, almost in a dismissive way. The same way a wealthy man might toss a beggar a coin. To Jesus, granting the gift of physical sight is nothing compared to the power he bears.

Elsewhere in the Gospels, he tells us he casts out demons by, “the finger of God.” 

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It’s the second part of that sentence – your faith has saved you – that should capture our attention. This is what draws Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, the Lord laments how people, even entire towns, have little to no faith in Him.

As Saint Matthew accounts, “He began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” 

“Woe to you!” he says.

Even the disciples are rebuked for their doubt.

While enduring a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples awaken a sleeping Jesus, fearing they are going to drown. Irritated, the Lord rubs his eyes and rebukes them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

Then he calms the wind and the waves.

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In my own ministry, I’ve witnessed countless miracles similar to what happens in the Gospels. I’ve seen cancer healed, brain damage removed, body aches and pains disappear. 

Yet the change in a person’s physical diagnosis does not automatically lead to faith; the human heart can be incredibly resistant to change.

This is why the blind man in today’s Gospel is praiseworthy. He’s not only healed physically; his faith also inspires him to get up and “follow” Jesus.

To “follow” Jesus not only means to move your feet, but also to open your heart.

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May we do the same today.

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Image credits: (1) Growing Christians Ministries (2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, YouTube (3) LifeWire

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Gospel: Luke 17: 26-37

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;
they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day
that Noah entered the ark,
and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:
they were eating, drinking, buying,
selling, planting, building;
on the day when Lot left Sodom,
fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.
So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.
On that day, someone who is on the housetop
and whose belongings are in the house
must not go down to get them,
and likewise one in the field
must not return to what was left behind.
Remember the wife of Lot.
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,
but whoever loses it will save it.
I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;
one will be taken, the other left.
And there will be two women grinding meal together;
one will be taken, the other left.”
They said to him in reply, “Where, Lord?”
He said to them, “Where the body is,
there also the vultures will gather.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man,” Jesus says, “they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage… then the flood came and destroyed them all.”

Noah built his ark while it was still bright and sunny outside. 

Once the darkness fell and the floods came, he was already safely inside his boat. Those who were unprepared were the ones swept away.

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Jesus urges us to learn from Noah’s story.  

Build the ark now.

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There will be moments in every person’s life when it feels like the flood waters are rushing in. Faith is the ark that will keep us afloat. But we must construct it now while we still have the time.

In the words of the Psalmist, “The flood waters may reach high, but you they shall not overcome.”

How sturdy is my ark? Are there any holes or weak spots in my relationship with God?

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The closer we are to Christ now, the more prepared we will be when the floods of life come rushing. Though they may reach high, we who believe shall never be overcome.

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Image credits: (1) Go Be Radiant (2) MassisPost (3) R.L. Stollar