Jesus didn’t intend to
stay there. He was passing through Jericho. But something happened that made
Him change His plans. Compassion happened.
And mercy. And Love. The little
man that everyone hated, Zacchaeus the head tax collector, had climbed a tree
along the road that Jesus was walking down. He was merely curious. He wanted to see this Jesus. But then Jesus
stopped under the tree and said, Zacchaeus,
come down quickly because today I must stay at your house. The man with the
crowds around Him hanging on His every word, saw the man that everyone avoided,
everyone hated, changed His plan to pass through Jericho, and said, I must stay at your house. Shocking. So
also was Zacchaeus’ reaction. He promised to give half his possessions to the
poor and payback four times over all he had extorted. Jesus cared about Him. Zacchaeus would not
let the moment pass. And salvation came
to little Zacchaeus’ house[1].
Have you ever been
in the tree with Zacchaeus? I think we all have. I think we all have had times
that our sins have separated us from the people following the Lord, but our
determination to be in His Presence has led us to a place we can view Him. So
we go to Church in our sinfulness, just to get away from ourselves for a few
moments. And then something happens. We decide that we want to be with the Lord
forever. And we seek forgiveness, and are rewarded with peace. Or perhaps we
come to Church only to keep someone else happy, a spouse, or parents, or
children. We don’t intend to take our presence in Church all that seriously,
but then we feel the call of Jesus to let Him stay with us, in our house, and
everything changes.
Perhaps there
are some who feel that the Lord would not call them down from their trees. Perhaps
there are some who think that their sins are too grievous for the Lord to
simply forgive them. Listen closely now: Jesus is not concerned with the sins. He
is concerned with the sinner. He is concerned with you and with me. He looks up
into that tree and sees someone who needs Him. His mercy, and compassion and
love are infinitely greater, infinitely more powerful than our sins.
Perhaps there
are some who don’t want to come out of their trees. They like their lives. They don’t care if
they are sinning. Still, you do go to Church. You have climbed the tree out of
more than simple curiosity. Jesus knows
the courage it takes to turn from sin. His reward is greater than the joy of
the party, the stuff, the fleeting moments of sin. He looks into the person’s heart and says,
“Give it up, and let me in. I really do want to stay with you.”
In 1880 Will L.
Thompson published a song that captures the call of the Lord to the sinner. May
be you are familiar with it. The song is Softly
and Tenderly.
Softly and
tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and
for me;
See on the
portals He's waiting and watching,
Wathing for you
and for me.
Come home, come
home,
You who are
weary, come home;
Earnestly,
tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O
Sinner come home!
Why should we
tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you
and for me?
Why should we
linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you
and for me?
Oh, for the
wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you
and for me?
Why should we
linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you
and for me?
Oh, for the
wonderful love, He has promised,
Promised for you
and for me!
Though we have
sinned He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you
and for me.
Maybe there are
some people who are not in the tree. Perhaps there are some who are in the
crowd following the Lord. Many of the people in the crowd were judgmental. It
is so easy for Church people to be judgmental. We see someone in Church and
register shock, “What is he doing here? What is she doing here?” Today’s
Gospel tells us that Jesus wants us all
here, those who have lived their Catholicism at all moments of their lives, and
those who have just dropped into the Church to give Christ a “look-see.” He
excludes no one. Nor may we.
Sometimes we are
with Zacchaeus in the tree, and sometimes we are in the crowd following Jesus. But
always Jesus is there for us, calling us away from sin, and calling us to join
him in rejoicing over each person who has come into His Family. We pray today for the courage to accept His
Presence into our lives, and in the lives of others ■
[1] 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time C,
November 3, 2013. Readings: Wisdom 11:22-12:2, Responsorial Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9,
10-11, 13, 14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10.
