Up a Tree: Zack Lect. 498

498.doc

Scripture: lectionary 498. II Maccabees 6:18-31. Psalm 3:2-3,4-5. 6-8. Luke 19:1-10.

Our Gospel tells us that no one is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Zacchaeus is a model for all of us who depend upon the grace of God, God’s merciful-love seen in Jesus, and the willingness on our part to really see Jesus through our eyes of faith. Jesus healed a man who was born blind just before the incident of seeing Zacchaeus propped up in a tree in order that he might see Jesus. To his great surprise much more happens to him. Jesus meets the eyes that are looking at him, those of Zacchaeus.

Crowded thoughts and plans, our own limitations and other selfish concerns prevent us from seeing Jesus. We need to climb a tree—an effort at overcoming these limits through a deep desire to see God in the person of Jesus. We all need to convert each day to the spiritual vision we so desire in order to put peace and love into our hearts. We need to do like Zacchaeus did.

Zacchaeus is creative and industrious in his effort to see Jesus. He leaves aside his selfish concerns and climbs a tree to catch sight of the Lord. What a surprise is in store for him when Jesus not only sees him but invites him to throw a dinner, a banquet at his own home near or in Jericho. This leads the little man to become great with his generosity and his willingness to be just in his dealings with others and their taxes, their money. Jesus, the fisher of human beings, has caught another one for his community of followers and believers that God is good and loves everyone on this earth. Nothing God created is bad as we know well from the first chapter of Genesis.

Joy and enthusiasm are the reward and grace of our daily conversion. We then can really help others for we have been helped to come to the table and to be with Jesus. Yes, this scene is dynamic, filled with energy, and even hilarious. We too can be pulled in by the great fisherman, Jesus of Nazareth. Our hearts need to be touched by the Lord each day. The sacrament of the Eucharist is Jesus’ way of inviting us to his banquet. We, in turn, leave our preoccupations, our comfort, our selfishness in order to enjoy this banquet with all the friends of God. All are equal at the table of the Lord. No one is excluded from the Kingdom of God.

We need to be attentive to our liturgical celebrations so that we can see Jesus who is already looking at us and inviting us to his banquet. With the eyes of faith we can actually see Jesus in the humble offerings of bread and wine which become for us his very personal presence. Today salvation has come to us in the home of our hearts. We then realize that “The Son of Man has come to search out and save what was lost.”