Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
Having entered Jericho, he was going through the city. There was a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and a rich man. He tried to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. So he ran forward and climbed up on a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly; for I must stay at your house today. And he hastened down and received him with joy. When they saw him, they all murmured, saying, ”He has gone to stay with a man of sin. But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Lord, I will give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will repay him four times as much. Jesus said to him, ”Today salvation has come to this house, for this man also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.“.
Fruit: To want, with sincerity of heart, to have a personal experience with the Lord.
Guidelines for prayer:
Today's Gospel is both a sympathetic and curious passage: a well-to-do man, a rich tax collector, is curious to see the Master. Being short in stature, he climbs a tree to see him pass by. And at that moment, something changes in his heart and he is overcome with a great desire for generosity. Let's take a slower look at this scene.
1. Who is Zacchaeus
The Gospel tells us that Zacchaeus was a publican, a rich tax collector; moreover, chief publican and rich. Let us put ourselves in context: the Roman Empire has conquered the Jewish people. It imposes its laws on them, respecting some laws of the Jewish people, and above all obliges them to pay certain taxes. But those who collect these taxes are not the Romans directly, but some Jews, the “publicans”. As expected, this group of Jews did not enjoy a good reputation among their people: they collected taxes, often excessive, to give to the invader. And besides, they kept a good part of it for themselves. But Zacchaeus has another characteristic: he wants to see Jesus. In the Gospel there are many men who want to see Jesus: some out of curiosity, others out of erudite eagerness, others so that the Rabbi of Nazareth may heal them... Others, like Zacchaeus, admire the Lord and sense that something great for their lives is behind the encounter with this man.
2. A man climbing a tree
It is not easy for him to reach Jesus, to meet him, to see him. St. Luke tells us that he was small in stature, and he looks for a solution, strange for a man like him: he is a rich, influential personage, chief of publicans... We could say, he belongs to high society. And it occurs to him to climb on a sycamore, like a child of 7 or 8 years old. “Of those who are like children, -Jesus tells us., is the Kingdom of Heaven”.”. What is behind this attitude? Humility, simplicity, candor..., also curiosity. In short, the attitude of a child who is not ashamed to approach the Master humbly, who knows what his heart needs and where the source of true happiness is. Jesus, who never remains indifferent to each person, takes notice of him, calls him by name, and says to him: “...".“Today I'm going to stay at your house.”. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, and He responds with much more; He wants to share some time with this chief tax collector.
3. Change of heart and firm decision
Zacchaeus comes down quickly, joyful, and eagerly receives the Lord; he organizes a feast, and offers him the best of himself. After entertaining him with external goods, he goes further: he gives him his heart, promising him a change of life. “I will give, Lord, half of my goods to the poor.”. And he adds, as if it were a coincidence: “and if I have let anyone down in any way -Those who heard him understood that this conditional was a euphemism; it was common practice for the publicans to keep part of the money they collected, swindling both their people and the Romans., I will pay you back fourfold”.”. Zacchaeus does not remain in good feelings, in romanticism, in telling Jesus that his presence was wonderful. Zacchaeus goes to the point, to detach himself from the chain that bound his heart: attachment to the goods of this world. Your visit to my house, Lord, has borne fruit: generosity, dedication, sharing. And this response is very concrete, very practical. Only in this way will each one of us hear from the Lord's lips: “Today salvation has come to this house”.”.
Purpose: Examine my heart before Jesus Christ to discover what I need to change in my life.
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