Gospel Reading: Lk 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 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.”
REFLECTIONS: I shall give to the poor
Zacchaeus declares this before Jesus who drops by his house in Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. To give half of his possessions to the poor is his response to Jesus’ surprise visit. Zacchaeus did not expect Jesus to pay attention to him as the Lord was just passing by. Zacchaeus only wanted to see him and helped himself by climbing a sycamore tree.
We do not know what happened in the course of their conversation, but at the end, Zacchaeus promises to give to the poor. He has so much money. Money keeps pouring to him as chief tax collector from his fellow tax collectors in the lower ranks. He has no problem with money. In addition, he will return the money he has earned fraudulently. He will be more just in his collections.
We may wonder why he does not give to Jesus and his entourage. This is usually the concern of the clergy. Jesus’ mission must have been impressed in the mind of Zacchaeus that charity to the poor and justice to the disadvantaged become his concerns.
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Jesus is always passing by and coming to visit us in his word and sacrament. Do we become more charitable and just every time he comes?
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SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2017” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
