Gospel Reflection - 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time



Luke 19:1-10

My first thought whenever I hear the story of Zacchaeus is the children's song I first heard on my kids' Veggie Tales CD many years ago. 


It's often tempting to rush through a familiar Gospel story. We think we know it & don't need to spend a good amount of time rereading it. In doing so, though, we end up missing out on deeper messages God may be trying to share with us. I often find that each rereading draws my attention to another aspect of the story.

Today's Gospel is the familiar story of Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector not well liked by those in his community. He was a short man who heard that Jesus was passing through his town of Jericho & climbed a sycamore tree to get a better look. 

What stood out to me in reading the Gospel this time around was the very first sentence...

"At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town."

It doesn't sound like He planned on staying long. What made Him change His mind?

As He passed that sycamore tree & caught sight of Zacchaeus, He was most likely moved with pity & mercy. Jesus knew exactly who Zacchaeus was...a sinner in need of redemption. Inviting Himself to Zacchaeus' home was less about His need for a place to stay & more of a need to reach into Zacchaeus' heart...a call for repentance. Jesus didn't even need to call Zacchaeus out for his sins. Zacchaeus knew & went above & beyond in reparation for all the money he'd stolen over the years.

Jesus doesn't need to call us out for our sins either. He knows exactly what we've done. All He asks is that we welcome Him into our hearts & turn our lives to Him. 

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