To Seek, To Save The Lost

 Luke 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.”

Here we have Jesus on his way to Jerusalem where death awaits him, but he takes the time to move into the life of a tax collector who has climbed a tree just in order to see him. This effort is rewarded by a self-invitation from Jesus to eat at his house, which, in turn provokes a conversion in the life of Zacchaeus, who, recognizing his sins, turns back on them and sets out a chart of new behaviors.  Contact with Jesus does it again, for Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and here was one who climbed a tree to seek Jesus.   A perfect moment, another soul for Jesus to save. 

As we approach Advent, are we thinking of how we can clean up our lives, reach out to Jesus and invite him to  into our lives in a deeper relationship?  Will we be able to "dine with him" as we feed the poor, or participate in a clothing drive?  Can we make time to spend with Jesus in prayer and renew our enthusiasm as one of his followers?  What can we learn from this exciting moment in the life of  Zacchaeus?

Bro. Rene 

Lord Jesus, come, stay at our house! Interrupt our lives. Turn everything upside down! Rouse us out of our humdrum torpor, our apathy, our complacency. Surprise us with your nearness so much so that we, like Zacchaeus, will climb the tallest tree just to get the slightest glimpse of your face. Prepare our hearts to receive you with love. Amen.

Ricky Bevington, C.S.C.