A Good Heart Rewarded

 

Lk 19:1-10

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector

19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Zacchaeus gives us hope. He has made mistakes in the past, but his curiosity leads to a change of his ways and new and special relationship with Jesus: he will host Jesus at his house.  What an honor, so much better than the meagre glimpse he wanted from his perch in the tree. "Small beginnings, greater ends," as the song goes. His brief contact with Jesus led to a change of heart and ways. Might we find a similar enthusiasm not only to see Jesus, but to welcome him into our hearts and homes. With Zacchaeus we can learn humility and allow our enthusiasm to bring us to a new level of relationship with Jesus. What is holding us back?

Bro. Rene

 Dear Jesus, help me to find the enthusiasm even to climb tree to get closer to you. Amen.