Thirty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 19:1-10]
30.10.2022
Conversion of Zacchaeus the Tax-collector
1. Theme in brief
Conversion and restitution brings salvation
2. Focus Statement
Jesus takes initiative to
seek out and save the lost ones; but we need to respond to his offer of
salvation like Zacchaeus, and be willing to make amends (or restitution) for
our wrongdoing.
3. Explanation of the text
Today’s gospel gives
another great story of conversion of a despised tax-collector named
Zacchaeus. According to the text, he was not an ordinary tax-collector, but a “chief” supervisor
among them and was “rich” (19:2). Obviously,
as the head of other tax-collectors his social position was high and as a rich person his economic status too
was high enough. How he had
become so rich is a different story altogether. That will become clear later on
in his own words: “If I have defrauded anyone of anything I will pay back four
times as much” (19:8). Obviously, he had become rich by exploitation, extortion
and defrauding or
swindling
– as any tax-collector normally used to do in those days. They were collecting
taxes from their own fellowmen to fill the packets of a foreign (Roman)
government. Though the amount to be deposited in the treasury was fixed by the
Roman government, the amount to be collected from tax-payers was not fixed.
Naturally, they were collecting a much higher amount to increase their
commission. In today’s gospel Zacchaeus is a chief sinner for the Jewish leaders,
since his higher position enables him to extort higher amount of taxes and
swindle a good amount of moneyfor himself. He is also a traitor since he collects taxes for foreign
occupiers (Romans) from fellow-Israelites. Though rich, it becomes clear that
he is very poor in character due to his shady deals; thus poor in God’s sight, as Jesus had
already taught In the story of the Rich Fool (Lk 12:21).
Luke mentions two reasons in
the given text for Zacchaeus’ climbing a sycamore tree: (1) he is short in
stature; (2) he is eager to “see” who Jesus is (19:3). It is always 50+50% -
not only he seeks
Jesus, but Jesus too is seeking after him. His desire to “see” Jesus is so
intense that he forgets the dignity of his high status and runs like child to climb
a sycamore tree (19:4). This is not an ordinary seeing just out of curiosity,
but seeing him with the eyes of faith. Though Luke does not mention it, there
is a possibility that Zacchaeus may have heard Jesus before and is probably disturbed
or unhappy deep down his heart by his teachings. Though, probably, he does not
intend to be dramatically converted, he is wondering whether he can be his
disciple. Today there comes the moment of making a decisive commitment because of
Jesus’ intervention.
Now he begins to “see” him with the eyes of faith. Instead of Zacchaeus
inviting him, Jesus spots him on the tree and invites himself to his house.
Here we see Jesus himself taking the initiative to go in search of a sinner, like a
shepherd going in search of the lost sheep. After all, he has come to seek out
and to save the lost (19:10).
Zacchaeus’ encounter with
Jesus and his final conversion is made possible by three factors: (1) his desire
to ‘see’ Jesus; (2) his running ahead and climbing the sycamore tree due to
that strong desire and his short stature; (3) Jesus’ self-invitation to visit
his house that indicates his initiative or free offer of grace. He responds
to and cooperates
joyfully with Jesus’ offer to become the guest of a sinner like him
(19:7). On the contrary Jesus’ gesture as well as conduct scandalizes the
crowd, because they know that he is a sinner (19:7). Zacchaeus’ experience of
staying with Jesus brings about a dramatic change in him. He publicly admits
his guilt and resolves to share his possessions with the poor and “pay back”
(also called restitution
or making amends) four times as much to those whom he has cheated
(19:8). Thus, though rich, his decision to share his wealth with the poor
presents a contrast to the decision of the Rich Man mentioned by Luke earlier
who refuses to be detached from his wealth and goes away sad (Lk 18:23).
In Luke’s gospel we notice
how Jesus consistently condemns over-attachment to wealth and insists on sharing
it with the have-nots. This rich tax-collector promises to give half of his possessions
to the poor and promises to pay back fourfold of the amount he may have
defrauded. A decision of this sort for rich people like him (who are normally
so attached to their wealth) is equal to a “camel going
through the eye of a needle” (to use Jesus’ expression in Lk 18:25). Here
this rich tax-collector becomes a model of proper attitude towards wealth and
the need to share it with others. It is precisely this attitude and decision that
bring salvation
not only to him but to the whole household (19:9), and fulfils the mission of
Jesus to seek
out and save the lost (19:10). In the beginning Zacchaeus
wants to see who Jesus is, may be only superficially, but later he comes to
know the type of God Jesus represents: a God who
seeks out the lost ones like him and saves.
4. Application to life
As he took initiative to seek out a fraud like Zacchaeus, Jesus
continues to take initiative to come in search of sinners like us and continues
to invite himself into our house even today. As in the case of Zacchaeus, Jesus
reads what is going on in our hearts – a disturbance deep down and a desire
(quite often vague) for a change without knowing when and how. Before we make
the final decision, Jesus walks half the way to meet us, looks up, calls us by
name, asks us to hurry down from our hiding place and invites himself into our
home (cf.19:5). Before welcoming him into our homes (hearts) we need to come down from
the tree of our
pride and self-sufficiency. It
is pride that keeps us from trusting in him. All of us are short or small in
stature. It is only when we acknowledge our ‘smallness’ or ‘littleness’ before
Christ we become worthy of his grace. And
after welcoming him or having a longer contact with him, like Zacchaeus, we
need to make
amends for our selfishness, greed, deceit, dishonesty and other
corrupt practices. Jesus is still seeking the lost and longs to save them. Though Jesus has said that for a rich person to enter the
When Zacchaeus comes face to face with Jesus, he realizes how wrong his
deeds are! Yes, Zacchaeus of the gospel gets converted. His repentance
changes not only his heart but also his attitude to wealth. But the question is,
whether the Zacchaeus of this world will be converted at all. When we refuse to
come down from our self-sufficiency, refuse to admit our guilt and refuse to
share our resources (even if they are a little) with those who don’t have, we
fail to become like the Zacchaeus of the gospel. Just imagine the enormity of corruption
existing in various parts of the world involving Christians too. Even in
Zacchaeus’ encounter with
Jesus leads him to publicly admit his guilt and resolve to share his possessions with the
poor and make restitution
to those whom he has defrauded (cheated). Like Zacchaeus, if our conscious
contact with Jesus through prayer, sacraments and mediation on the Word of God
does not lead us to conversion and restitution of the harm done to
others or to change our evil and immoral ways even a little, then it is nothing
but ritualism
and pure religiosity (not spirituality). If we really welcome Jesus in
our hearts, as Zacchaeus did, it will have the following impact on our life: a
desire to share
our resources with the have-nots; to give up our immoral/ illegal/ dishonest
ways of amassing wealth by taking or giving bribes; to make restitution for the
harm and loss done to the public exchequer; to clean up corruption in public
places; to give up the corrupt ways by which the nation’s/ institution’s/ Church’s
funds are looted and tax-payers’ money is pocketed or siphoned off for oneself;
and to show a greater transparency in the use of public funds.
For those of us who are not
involved in such misuses and abuses, what does restitution mean? It need not be
only in terms of money but also in terms of making amends for all other
wrongdoings, immoral behaviour and calumny (defamation or slander). Quite
often, the Lord invites us to make amends for spoiling the good name of others
or for spreading malicious and vicious stories about people whom we dislike or
hate. Imagine the harm we sometimes do to others by defamation, slander,
spreading baseless rumours and stories about their character or conduct by
envious gossips, and by other ways of character assassination. We need to make amends
by restoration of their good name, mending broken relationships, offering and
asking for forgiveness, etc. – just as Zacchaeus made amends. What restitution
can spouses make to each other if there is a breach of mutual trust or betrayal
of matrimonial promises? What amends can we make if we are involved in anti-life
or
life-denying actions such as abortion, female foeticide, domestic
and other forms of violence, violation of human rights, environmental
destruction, etc.? What can we do to
promote human life which is everywhere negated and threatened by countless misdeeds and acts of cruelty from womb
to tomb? Whenever we share
our goods with the poor and make amends to the harm done to our neighbours
either in any of the ways mentioned just now, then only salvation comes to our house,
as it came to Zacchaeus’.
Each one of us can identify ourselves with one of the
three main characters
in this story: Zacchaeus, Jesus and the grumblers. Zacchaeus represents all the
sinners who experience that salvation has come to their ‘house’ (in their
hearts) because of their experience of Jesus’ presence and action. Jesus
represents those who seek out and save the lost by their compassion towards Zacchaeus
sort of people. They lead them to the path of repentance and a change in their
life. The grumblers
are those who are not happy with the conversion of sinners and believe that
they cannot be changed. They are like the elder son in Prodigal Son’s story who
thinks that a sinner needs to be punished and condemned. In today’s gospel it
is obvious that the Pharisees consider Zacchaeus a lost sinner, lost for ever;
but for Jesus he is a lost sheep who needs to be sought after and brought back
with all the compassion. Which of these characters do we represent? The Church
is called to be more and more like Jesus seeking after so many Zacchaeuses in
our society. One of the roles of Parish Pastoral Council is to collaborate with
pastors in seeking out the lost and saving them, instead of quarrelling over
money matters alone every time or organizing only functions and programmes in
the church compound. Second Vatican Council makes it clear that the laity also
is called to this mission by baptism itself and cannot relegate
this mission fully and solely to the clergy.
5. Response to
God's Word
Do we justify the corrupt
ways of the world especially giving and taking of bribes by saying: “Who does
not do it? What is wrong in it?” Does our conscious contact with Jesus through
prayer, sacraments and mediation on the Word of God sharpen our consciences
made blunt by worldly (secular) pressure? Like Zacchaeus, does it lead us to
share our goods with the poor and make restitution for the harm we have done to
others? If we have defrauded anyone of anything, or exploited the poor like
Zacchaeus, or have spoiled the good name of our neighbours, are we willing to
make restitution or amends? When and how? In our lives, were there some special
moments when we felt salvation had come to our hearts and homes after giving up
our certain evil or corrupt ways?
6. A
Prayer
Jesus, you are coming in
search of sinners like us and invite yourself into our house today. We welcome
you joyfully. Like Zacchaeus when we come face to face with you, we realize how
much we are in need of a change of heart leading to restitution of the harm
done to others by our greed, deceit and dishonesty. We humbly beg your
forgiveness for our wrongdoing. Grant that we may experience your salvation or
liberation from excessive greed and corrupt ways of the world. Give us your
grace that we may become agents of social transformation and may not collaborate
with corrupt ways of the world. Amen.
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