He came into 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 to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they all 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.”
Luke 19:1-10 (NABRE)
No one is too far gone.
Sometimes, we find ourselves wanting to distance ourselves from Jesus. Sure, Zacchaeus was in the tree because of his short stature, but we can also apply this to our own lives and ponder what it is that keeps us from running up to be close to Jesus rather than staying back in the safety of a tree. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and in so doing, he exposed himself to the gaze of the Lord, who saw him and called him to a life of conversion and holiness.
Zacchaeus was open to the prompting of Jesus and welcomed with joy His invitation. When we let Jesus into our lives like Zacchaeus opened his house to Him, we are set free in a powerful spiritual sense. We let go of vice and are healed from its disintegrating effects. We choose, daily, to have a close, intimate relationship with Jesus and let Him, the living and true God, enter into our lives and transform us into the people we are called to be. To be holy is not so much a lofty designation as it is a daily choice. Jesus wants us to be people who trust in His merciful love. People who are not afraid to let Him into the homes of our souls and let Him see the mess and the rot, for Jesus of Nazareth, the Divine Carpenter of our souls, wishes to renovate our interior lives and make His dwelling there. He wants you to be a tabernacle of Mercy Itself, God.
You do not escape the merciful and attentive gaze of the Lord. Not even a tree will separate you from Him.
Thank your for reading. Peace.
Eat the Scroll 