Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 498
Lectionary: 498
Eleazar, one of the
foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
“At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws.”
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
“The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him.”
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
“At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws.”
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
“The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him.”
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
Responsorial PsalmPS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (6b) The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.
GospelLK 19:1-10
At that time 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,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they 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.”
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,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they 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.”
Meditation: "Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully"
What
would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, "I must stay at your
home today"? Would you be excited or embarrassed? Jesus often
"dropped-in" at unexpected times and he often visited the
"uninvited" – the poor, the lame, and even public sinners like Zacchaeus,
the tax collector! Tax collectors were despised and treated as outcasts, no
doubt because they over-charged people and accumulated great wealth at the
expense of others. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was much hated by
all the people. Why would Jesus single him out for the honor of staying at his
home? Zacchaeus needed God's merciful love and forgiveness. In his encounter
with Jesus he found more than he imagined possible. He shows the depth of his
repentance by deciding to give half of his goods to the poor and to use the
other half for making restitution for fraud. Zacchaeus' testimony included more
than words. His change of heart resulted in a change of life, a change that the
whole community could experience as genuine.
Saint
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) urges us to climb the sycamore tree like
Zacchaeus that we might see Jesus and embrace his cross for our lives:
Zacchaeus climbed away from the crowd and saw Jesus without the
crowd getting in his way. The crowd laughs at the lowly, to people walking the
way of humility, who leave the wrongs they suffer in God’s hands and do not
insist on getting back at their enemies. The crowd laughs at the lowly and
says, “You helpless, miserable clod, you cannot even stick up for yourself and
get back what is your own.” The crowd gets in the way and prevents Jesus from
being seen. The crowd boasts and crows when it is able to get back what it
owns. It blocks the sight of the one who said as he hung on the cross, “Father,
forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing. … He ignored
the crowd that was getting in his way. He instead climbed a sycamore tree, a
tree of “silly fruit.” As the apostle says, “We preach Christ crucified, a
stumbling block indeed to the Jews, [now notice the sycamore] but folly to the
Gentiles.” Finally, the wise people of this world laugh at us about the
cross of Christ and say, “What sort of minds do you people have, who worship a
crucified God?” What sort of minds do we have? They are certainly not your kind
of mind. “The wisdom of this world is folly with God.” No, we do not have
your kind of mind. You call our minds foolish. Say what you like, but for our
part, let us climb the sycamore tree and see Jesus. The reason you cannot see
Jesus is that you are ashamed to climb the sycamore tree.
Let Zacchaeus grasp the
sycamore tree, and let the humble person climb the cross. That is little
enough, merely to climb it. We must not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, but
we must fix it on our foreheads, where the seat of shame is. Above where all
our blushes show is the place we must firmly fix that for which we should never
blush. As for you, I rather think you make fun of the sycamore, and yet that is
what has enabled me to see Jesus. You make fun of the sycamore, because you are
just a person, but “the foolishness of God is wiser than men.”[Sermon 174.3.]
The Lord Jesus is always ready to make his home
with each one of us. Do you make room for him in your heart and in every area
of your life?
"Lord
Jesus, come and stay with me. Fill my life with your peace, my home with your
presence, and my heart with your praise. Help me to show kindness, mercy, and
goodness to all, even to those who cause me ill-will or harm."
 Jesus Is My Guest |
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Tuesday of the
Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
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Father John Doyle,
LC
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing
through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and
was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he
could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus
came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus hurry and
come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and
was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He
has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there
and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give
to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four
times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come
to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to
seek out and to save the lost."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the Alpha and the Omega.
You have given me life and offer me eternal life with you. You deserve my
honor, gratitude and love, and yet you never impose yourself upon me. Thank
you for respecting my freedom so that I can offer myself to you. All that I
have is yours; I return it to you.
Petition: Lord, increase my faith.
1. Zacchaeus up a Tree: Yesterday and today’s Gospel passages speak
eloquently of the need to encounter Christ at all costs. The blind man we
read about yesterday would not stop shouting until he was brought to the
Lord. Today a short and very unpopular man named Zacchaeus runs back and
forth among the crowd until finally, in his determination to encounter
Christ, he breaks all protocol and scrambles up a tree. Jesus wastes no time
in entering decisively this tax collector’s life and transforming it. This
resembles our own encounter with Christ. At times different obstacles stand
in our way and prevent us from seeing Our Lord and his action in our lives.
Above all we lack determination. How easy it is to craft excuses: “I am just
too short,” “Maybe Jesus is too busy,” “I am just a sinner.” If we really
want Our Lord to stay at our house, he will, but there may be trees that we
need to climb first.
2. Welcoming Jesus: Few people ever welcomed Jesus with the joy
and exuberance as did this little man. He came down from the tree, gave half
of his wealth to the poor, and promised to restore any fraudulent
transactions four times over. Zacchaeus has truly been like that merchant in
search of fine pearls (see Matthew 13:45-46). He is willing to sell all he
has to buy the pearl of great price: friendship and intimacy with the Lord.
How many times has Jesus looked up at us and asked us to remain with him? How
many times have we had the immense grace of receiving the King of kings into
our hearts in the Blessed Eucharist? Do we offer merely a corner of our
hearts for him or do we reserve the presidential suite? How pure do we
maintain our souls for our Guest?
3. Of Sinners and Saints: What makes someone a saint and someone else
a sinner? Certainly it is not the grumbling of the jealous crowd who are
unwilling to climb up the tree to see Jesus yet are quick to criticize anyone
who does. In fact, everyone is a sinner. St. Paul writes, “Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Yet St. Paul, Zacchaeus, you and I all go from being sinners to saints when
we encounter Christ and are faithful to his friendship. Salvation came to
Zacchaeus’ house when Jesus entered it, and salvation comes to us through the
graces received at baptism, renewed in the Sacrament of Penance, and nurtured
in the Eucharist.
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, help me to be willing to do whatever
it takes to grow in a deeper friendship with you. Don’t allow me to worry
about the murmurings of the crowd, but only to listen to your voice and
respond to it with generosity.
Resolution: I will make a point to go to confession at
the next possible opportunity asking Jesus to forgive me my sins and to help
me to turn from being a sinner into being a saint. I will make it a real encounter
with Jesus.
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TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 19, LUKE 19:1-10
(2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Psalm 3)
(2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Psalm 3)
KEY VERSE: "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham" (v 9).
READING: Only Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus the tax-collector whose determination enabled him to find salvation in Jesus. Zacchaeus' willingness to change his life was contrasted with the rich official who was unable to renounce his possessions and follow Jesus (Lk 18:18-23). Because Zacchaeus was short in stature, he could not see over the crowds, and so he perched atop a sycamore tree hoping to catch a glimpse of Jesus as he passed through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. As the chief tax-collector, Zacchaeus had the opportunity to acquire more revenue than he was entitled to receive, but he promised to make restitution for everything that he had gained by unjust means. He even went beyond what the law demanded by promising to give half of his earnings to the poor. When Jesus invited himself to Zacchaeus' house there was murmuring in the crowd about Jesus' habit of dining with sinners. Jesus saw this little man as a true "son of Abraham," worthy of God's salvation.
REFLECTING: Am I willing to go out on a limb to see Jesus?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to use my earthly goods to serve the poor.
The Lord upholds me.
Jesus is not far from the end of his journey.He meets in Jericho a welcoming crowd and a tax-gatherer named Zacchaeus who climbs a tree to see Jesus and for Jesus to see him. What is going on in each of their minds? It seems that Zacchaeus has been moved by Jesus, perhaps at an earlier meeting, because Jesus invites himself to have lunch with Zacchaeus who declares he is giving half his goods to the poor and money to people he may have cheated. However, the crowd is still unwelcoming to the tax-gatherer, and Jesus lets the people know that if they are to be of God, to be saved, they need to welcome outsiders like Zacchaeus. A wonderful scene about the community, or communities, of God in this world.
November 19
St. Agnes of Assisi
1197-1253
St. Agnes of Assisi
1197-1253
Agnes was the sister of St. Clare and her first follower. When
Agnes left home two weeks after Clare’s departure, their family attempted to
bring Agnes back by force. They tried to drag her out of the monastery, but all
of a sudden her body became so heavy that several knights could not budge it.
Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but was temporarily paralyzed. The
knights then left Agnes and Clare in peace.
Agnes
matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in willingness to endure the
strict penances which characterized their lives at San Damiano. In 1221 a group
of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli (near Florence) asked to become Poor Clares.
St. Clare sent Agnes to become abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a
rather sad letter about how much she missed Clare and the other nuns at San
Damiano. After establishing other Poor Clare monasteries in northern Italy,
Agnes was recalled to San Damiano in 1253 when Clare was dying.
Agnes
followed Clare in death three months later. Agnes was canonized in 1753.
Comment:
God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives.
God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor contemplatives.
Quote:
Charles de Foucauld, founder of the Little Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, said: "One must pass through solitude and dwell in it to receive God’s grace. It is there that one empties oneself, that one drives before oneself all that is not God, and that one completely empties this little house of our soul to leave room for God alone. In doing this, do not fear being unfaithful toward creatures. On the contrary, that is the only way for you to serve them effectively" (Raphael Brown,Franciscan Mystic, p. 126).
Charles de Foucauld, founder of the Little Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, said: "One must pass through solitude and dwell in it to receive God’s grace. It is there that one empties oneself, that one drives before oneself all that is not God, and that one completely empties this little house of our soul to leave room for God alone. In doing this, do not fear being unfaithful toward creatures. On the contrary, that is the only way for you to serve them effectively" (Raphael Brown,Franciscan Mystic, p. 126).
LECTIO: LUKE
19,1-10
Lectio:
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Ordinary Time
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1) Opening prayer
Father of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel reading - Luke 19,1-10
Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town and
suddenly a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the
senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He kept trying to see which Jesus was,
but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and
climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.
When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your house today.'
And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
They all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house,' they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, 'Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.'
And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost.'
When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him, 'Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your house today.'
And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully.
They all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house,' they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, 'Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.'
And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost.'
3) Reflection
• In today’s Gospel we are reaching the end of the long journey
which began in chapter 9 (Lk 9, 51). During the journey, it was not easy to
know the way Jesus was following. It was only known that he was going toward
Jerusalem! Now at the end, the geography was clear and definite. Jesus reaches
Jericho, the city of the palm trees, in the Valley of Jordan. The last stop of
the pilgrims, before going up toward Jerusalem! He went to Jericho where the
long road of exodus of 40 years in the desert ended. The exodus of Jesus was
also ended. In entering into Jericho, Jesus meets a blind man who wanted to see
him (Lk 18, 35-43). Now in going out of the city, he meets Zacchaeus, a tax
collector: he also wants to see him. A blind man and a Publican. Both of them
were excluded. Both of them bothered and disturbed the people: the blind man because
he was shouting out to Jesus, the Publican because of the taxes. Both are
accepted by Jesus, each one in his own way.
• Luke 19, 1-2: The situation. Jesus enters into Jericho and crosses the city. “And behold a man whose name was Zacchaeus, head of the tax collectors and a rich man”. The tax collector was the person who collected the public taxes on selling and buying of merchandise. Zacchaeus was the head of the tax collectors in the city. He was very rich and closely linked to the system of domination of the Romans. The more religious Jews argued in this way: “The king of our people is God. Therefore, the dominion of the Romans on us is against God. Anyone who collaborates with the Romans, sins against God!” Thus, the soldiers who served in the Roman army and the tax collectors, like Zacchaeus, were excluded and avoided because they were considered sinners and impure.
• Luke 19, 3-4: The attitude of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. But being small, he ran ahead and climbed on a tree and waited for Jesus to go by. He really had a great desire to see Jesus! Before in the parable of the poor Lazarus and of the rich man who has no name (Lk 16, 19-31), Jesus had said that it was truly very difficult for a rich person to be converted and to open the door that separates him from accepting poor Lazarus. Here we have a rich man who does not close himself up in his riches. Zacchaeus wants something more. When an adult, a person who is prominent in the city, climbs up on a tree, it is because he does not care much about the opinion of others. Something more important moves him inside. He wants to open the door for poor Lazarus.
• Luke 19, 5-7: Attitude of Jesus, reaction of the people and of Zacchaeus. Getting and seeing Zacchaeus on the tree, Jesus does not ask nor does he demand anything. He only responds to the desire of the man and says: “Zacchaeus come down, hurry because I am to stay at your home today!” Zacchaeus gets down and receives Jesus, in his house, with great joy, “All complained: He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house!” Luke says that all complained! That signifies that Jesus was remaining alone in his attitude of accepting the excluded, especially the collaborators of the system. But Jesus does not care about the criticism. He goes to the house of Zacchaeus and defends him from the criticism. Instead of calling him sinner, he calls him “son of Abraham” (Lk 19, 9).
• Luke 19, 8: Decision of Zacchaeus. “Look, Lord, I am going to give half of my property to the poor; and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount!” This is the conversion produced in Zacchaeus because of the acceptance that he received from Jesus. To give back four times was what the law prescribed to do in certain cases (Ex 21, 37; 22, 3). To give half of my possessions to the poor was the novelty which the contact with Jesus produced in him. In fact, sharing was taking place.
• Luke 19, 9-10: Final word of Jesus. “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham”. The interpretation of the Law by means of the ancient Tradition excluded the tax collectors from the race of Abraham. Jesus says that he comes to seek and save what was lost. The Kingdom is for all. Nobody can be excluded. The choice of Jesus is clear, and also his call: It is not possible to be Jesus’ friend and continue to support a system which marginalizes and excludes so many people. By denouncing the unjust divisions, Jesus opens the space to a new way of living together, directed by the new values of truth, of justice and of love.
• Son of Abraham. "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham!” Through being a descendant of Abraham all nations of earth will be blessed (Gn 12, 3; 22, 18).It was very important for Luke’s communities, formed by Christians, both of Jewish and of Pagan origin, the affirmation that Jesus calls Zacchaeus “son of Abraham”. In this we find the confirmation of the fact that in Jesus, God was fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, addressed to all nations, both to Jews and to gentiles. They are also sons of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Jesus accepts those who were not accepted. He offers a place to those who do not have it. He receives as brothers and sisters the persons whom the religion and the government excluded and considered:
- immoral: the prostitutes and the sinners (Mt 21,31-32; Mk 2,15; Lk 7, 37-50; Jn 8, 2-11),
- heretic: pagans and Samaritans (Lk 7, 2-10; 17,16; Mk 7, 24-30; Jn 4, 7-42),
- impure: lepers and possessed (Mt 8, 2-4; Lk 17,12-14; Mk 1, 25-26),
- marginalized: women, children and the sick (Mk 1,32; Mt 8,16;19,13-15; Lk 8, 2-3),
- fighters: publicans and soldiers (Lk 18, 9-14;19,1-10);
- the poor: the people of the place and the poor who had no power (Mt 5, 3; Lk 6, 20; Mt 11,25-26).
• Luke 19, 1-2: The situation. Jesus enters into Jericho and crosses the city. “And behold a man whose name was Zacchaeus, head of the tax collectors and a rich man”. The tax collector was the person who collected the public taxes on selling and buying of merchandise. Zacchaeus was the head of the tax collectors in the city. He was very rich and closely linked to the system of domination of the Romans. The more religious Jews argued in this way: “The king of our people is God. Therefore, the dominion of the Romans on us is against God. Anyone who collaborates with the Romans, sins against God!” Thus, the soldiers who served in the Roman army and the tax collectors, like Zacchaeus, were excluded and avoided because they were considered sinners and impure.
• Luke 19, 3-4: The attitude of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. But being small, he ran ahead and climbed on a tree and waited for Jesus to go by. He really had a great desire to see Jesus! Before in the parable of the poor Lazarus and of the rich man who has no name (Lk 16, 19-31), Jesus had said that it was truly very difficult for a rich person to be converted and to open the door that separates him from accepting poor Lazarus. Here we have a rich man who does not close himself up in his riches. Zacchaeus wants something more. When an adult, a person who is prominent in the city, climbs up on a tree, it is because he does not care much about the opinion of others. Something more important moves him inside. He wants to open the door for poor Lazarus.
• Luke 19, 5-7: Attitude of Jesus, reaction of the people and of Zacchaeus. Getting and seeing Zacchaeus on the tree, Jesus does not ask nor does he demand anything. He only responds to the desire of the man and says: “Zacchaeus come down, hurry because I am to stay at your home today!” Zacchaeus gets down and receives Jesus, in his house, with great joy, “All complained: He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house!” Luke says that all complained! That signifies that Jesus was remaining alone in his attitude of accepting the excluded, especially the collaborators of the system. But Jesus does not care about the criticism. He goes to the house of Zacchaeus and defends him from the criticism. Instead of calling him sinner, he calls him “son of Abraham” (Lk 19, 9).
• Luke 19, 8: Decision of Zacchaeus. “Look, Lord, I am going to give half of my property to the poor; and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount!” This is the conversion produced in Zacchaeus because of the acceptance that he received from Jesus. To give back four times was what the law prescribed to do in certain cases (Ex 21, 37; 22, 3). To give half of my possessions to the poor was the novelty which the contact with Jesus produced in him. In fact, sharing was taking place.
• Luke 19, 9-10: Final word of Jesus. “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham”. The interpretation of the Law by means of the ancient Tradition excluded the tax collectors from the race of Abraham. Jesus says that he comes to seek and save what was lost. The Kingdom is for all. Nobody can be excluded. The choice of Jesus is clear, and also his call: It is not possible to be Jesus’ friend and continue to support a system which marginalizes and excludes so many people. By denouncing the unjust divisions, Jesus opens the space to a new way of living together, directed by the new values of truth, of justice and of love.
• Son of Abraham. "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham!” Through being a descendant of Abraham all nations of earth will be blessed (Gn 12, 3; 22, 18).It was very important for Luke’s communities, formed by Christians, both of Jewish and of Pagan origin, the affirmation that Jesus calls Zacchaeus “son of Abraham”. In this we find the confirmation of the fact that in Jesus, God was fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, addressed to all nations, both to Jews and to gentiles. They are also sons of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Jesus accepts those who were not accepted. He offers a place to those who do not have it. He receives as brothers and sisters the persons whom the religion and the government excluded and considered:
- immoral: the prostitutes and the sinners (Mt 21,31-32; Mk 2,15; Lk 7, 37-50; Jn 8, 2-11),
- heretic: pagans and Samaritans (Lk 7, 2-10; 17,16; Mk 7, 24-30; Jn 4, 7-42),
- impure: lepers and possessed (Mt 8, 2-4; Lk 17,12-14; Mk 1, 25-26),
- marginalized: women, children and the sick (Mk 1,32; Mt 8,16;19,13-15; Lk 8, 2-3),
- fighters: publicans and soldiers (Lk 18, 9-14;19,1-10);
- the poor: the people of the place and the poor who had no power (Mt 5, 3; Lk 6, 20; Mt 11,25-26).
4) Personal questions
• How does our community accept the persons who are despised and
marginalized? Are we capable, like Jesus to perceive the problems of persons
and to give them some attention?
· How do we perceive salvation today entering into our house and into our community? The welcoming tenderness of Jesus produced a total change in the life of Zacchaeus. Is the tenderness of our community producing some change in the neighbourhood? Which one?
· How do we perceive salvation today entering into our house and into our community? The welcoming tenderness of Jesus produced a total change in the life of Zacchaeus. Is the tenderness of our community producing some change in the neighbourhood? Which one?
5) Concluding prayer
With all my heart I seek you,
do not let me stray from your commandments.
In my heart I treasure your promises,
to avoid sinning against you. (Ps 119,10-11)
do not let me stray from your commandments.
In my heart I treasure your promises,
to avoid sinning against you. (Ps 119,10-11)
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