The Jesus who reaches out to Zacchaeus, and invites himself into the home of this chief tax collector, already a reason to be despised, and acknowledged sinner, is indeed the Son of the God described by the author of the Book of Wisdom. In beautiful imagery, Wisdom describes the whole universe as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew, insignificant in light of the ineffable mercy of God for all, which enables him to overlook people's sins. God, Wisdom tells us, loathes nothing he has made, and preserves everything he has created because it is his. Truly a lover of souls, he "rebukes offenders little by little, warns them, and reminds them of the sins they are committing that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in him." (Ws 11:12: 2)
This is exactly the case with the overture Jesus makes to Zacchaeus, the grace he extends to him, which brings about a dramatic and instantaneous conversion. Suddenly the sinner becomes so repentant that he promises to give half of his possessions to the poor and to repay those he's cheated four times over, so touched was he by the mercy of God.
This lesson in God's mercy: that it is there always, and that God takes the initiative in lavishing it upon us, is itself a grace that can bring the Zacchaeus in us to conversion and to welcome the lover of our soul into our hearts with the assurance that no matter what sins or sinful behavior is still there, it can be and is pardoned.
Bro. Rene
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