Wis 11:22-12:2; 2 Thes 1:11-2:2;
Lk 19:1-10
It is
quite ironic that the name Zacchaeus
in Hebrew means one who is just or clean. Before he met Jesus, the Zacchaeus
that we know in the gospel had no moral integrity. He was a chief tax collector
who enriched himself through anomalous means.
Zacchaeus
belonged to the higher echelon of society. Yet, he was unhappy for he had
chosen a life that made him an outcast, an enemy of his own people. During the
time of Jesus, tax collectors were employed by the pagan Roman occupiers and,
ordinarily, they made money through the large interests that they imposed on
the working people. It was
understandable that the Jews would look at tax collectors with disgust and
anger.
The
gospel tells us that Zacchaeus was seeking to see Jesus whom he heard would
pass their place that day. Perhaps he was one of those people whose hearts were
restless in search of something genuine and meaningful. He might have realized
that wealth could not satisfy him or make him happy. Providentially, the Spirit
was silently leading Zacchaeus to Jesus.
It was
not easy for Zacchaeus to see Jesus. We are told that the crowd was blocking
his sight because he was small in stature. Perhaps, this was the gospel’s way
of expressing the awkwardness of Zacchaeus to join the crowd in welcoming Jesus
given his bad public reputation. To solve his dilemma, Zacchaeus climbed up a
tree which did not only make him see the Lord but also made Jesus find him.
The
conversion of Zacchaeus was initiated by Jesus who invited him to come down
from a high, embarrassing position. Commentators would interpret it as an
invitation for Zacchaeus to leave his place of corrupted power and dishonest
wealth. In a way, the Lord called him to come down to earth, to enter into
contact with reality, with the people whose poverty he had taken advantage of.
Zacchaeus
responded beautifully well: “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.” Notice how Zacchaeus suddenly recognized
the poor and how he desired to make good reparations. Bible scholars tell us
that Jewish Law ruled that if voluntary confession was made and voluntary restitution
offered, only the value of the original goods stolen had to be paid, plus
one-fifth (Lev 6:5). Zacchaeus manifested his sincerity by intending to give
back more than what the law demanded.
A
writer recalled how a rich young man failed to become a disciple of Jesus
despite living a clean life. Zacchaeus led an immoral life but received salvation
because he was willing to leave everything for Jesus, something that the young
man refused to do.
The
conversion-experience of Zacchaeus inspires us to do at least three things:
First
is to find peace with our Creator. St. Augustine reminded us that we are made
for God and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him. Zacchaeus knew this
by experience. He found real joy only when he received the Lord Jesus in his
life. May we likewise find our way to meet Jesus who also is constantly seeking
for us.
Second
is to acknowledge humbly our faults and ask for mercy and forgiveness.
Sometimes we like to blame others for our wrongdoings. Other times we minimize
the gravity of our sins or justify them with trivial excuses. Let us emulate
the example of Zacchaeus who confessed his crime, accepted responsibility and
showed remorse in the presence of Jesus. Saint Augustine once said: “The
confession of evil works is the first beginning of good works.”
And
third is to make sincere reparations for whatever injuries we have committed
against others. Most of our sins have social implications. We offend others by
taking advantage of their miserable situations, or by taking something that
rightfully belongs to others, or by destroying another person’s name. We also
harm others by living scandalously or by giving bad examples. If conditions
would allow it, let us try to restore whatever damage we caused in other
people’s lives.
