33RD TUESDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
33RD TUESDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: “TODAY SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOUSE…”
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Jesus came to 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.”
ALSO RECOMMENDED: 33RD TUESDAY HOMILY OF ORDINARY TIME
On the last leg of His journey to Jerusalem, Jesus stops by Jericho where He met two blind men. Yesterday’s Gospel is about the healing of a physically blind person. Today’s Gospel gives us the second blind man, Zacchaeus. He is not physically blind, but he is figuratively blind. Although he ardently wanted to see Jesus, he could not because he is too short and his vision is obstructed by the crowd. So, he climbs a sycamore tree in order to see the Lord. Both of these ‘blind men’ of Jericho are, then, able to see Jesus.
We do not know much about Zacchaeus. The Gospel just gives two details about him: “short in stature” and “chief tax collector and also a wealthy man”. Being ‘short’ can mean several things. Physically, he must have some deep insecurities. This could be his major motivation in achieving power and wealth. Socially, he is also ‘short’, for despite his prominence in society, he has no friends except perhaps his fellow tax collectors. People abhor and despise him. All tax collectors are considered traitors and thieves. Hence, he is also ‘short’ morally because of this sinful livelihood. Spiritually, he is ‘short’ because his main preoccupation is money and wealth. It would be safe to assume that with his kind of job, he would not put much interest on his religious duties as a Jew.
The Gospel says he is a tax collector, but not an ordinary one. He is a ‘chief tax collector’. Tax collectors are mentioned many times in the Gospels, but it is only St. Luke who mentions ‘chief tax collector’. He is responsible for a district or region with other tax collectors answerable to him. Needless to say, he is a very wealthy man.
But despite his powerful position in society, and the wealth and prestige he enjoys, something deep inside him is aching for something more that the world cannot satisfy. He is looking for meaning in life. This must be the reason why he longs to see Jesus. It is not just simple curiosity, but a burning desire to find answer to his inner emptiness. A person of his social stature will not go to the extent of climbing a tree out of mere curiosity.
This story tells us about Jesusʹ love for sinners. The conversion of Zacchaeus began with him trying to see Our Lord. But it is Jesus who wanted to see him even more. It was Jesus who finds him. He had planned that encounter from all eternity. For his part, Zacchaeus did not expect Jesus to see him. He must have almost fallen from the tree out of surprise when Jesus looks in his direction and says, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” And to think that He calls him by name!
God loves sinners ʹas they areʹ, but He ʹrefusesʹ to leave them ʹas they areʹ. For, indeed, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” But that is just one part of the whole story. The other part must come from the sinner. And Zacchaeus does his part so well. He positively declared: “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.” Mercy and forgiveness are of no value when there is no sincere repentance and restitution of the harm done.
Zacchaeus, who had originally just wanted to see Jesus, has now come to see himself as well – his sins, injustices and harm done to so many people. His blindness is healed by his personal encounter with Jesus. And this leads him to genuine conversion, the beginning of his salvation: “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.”
The story of Zacchaeus is truly inspiring. Mercy always triumphs over sin. Jesus unceasingly offers this mercy to us. In His message to St. Faustina, the Lord Jesus said, “Encourage souls to place great trust in my fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all will be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of my mercy.”
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>
Dear friends in Christ, We have been sustained by your Charity for the past 11years. Here we are saddled with annual bills. Please, be kind to us with your donation. Click on the “Donate” button to get started. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
