Introduction: The common theme of today’s readings is the benevolent and forgiving mercy of God for sinners and the response of repentance and conversion expected from us. The first reading reminds us that God who created the universe with His wise and loving concern waits with the same concern for sinners to repent. He “rebukes the offenders little by little,” “warns them of their sins” and reminds them to “abandon their wickedness.” The reading focuses on the love God has for all He has created, the love that overlooks sin and gives time for repentance. In the second reading St. Paul encourages the Thessalonians to persevere in their Christian faith, giving glory to God without idly waiting for the ‘second coming’ of Christ in their lifetime. Today’s gospel presents the beautiful story of the instantaneous conversion of the tax-collector Zacchaeus. The account describes how Jesus recognized Zacchaeus for exactly what he was, a lost sinner in need of a Savior, and how God’s grace worked in Zacchaeus to lead him from idle curiosity to repentance, conversion and restitution. The episode emphasizes the fact that such a conversion can only result from a person’s fully receiving the love, acceptance and grace of a merciful Lord. .

Exegesis: The context: A rich ruler came to Jesus asking how he might be saved (Luke 18). But he went away sad after learning that he would have to sacrifice his riches. When the apostles wondered if any man with possessions could be saved, Jesus assured them, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God" (18:18-27). This account leads naturally to our Gospel lesson, the story of Zacchaeus, a rich man who found salvation when he surrendered himself to the grace of God. The rich ruler was too attached to his possessions to give them to the poor. The repentant Zacchaeus, on the other hand, voluntarily pledged to give half his possessions to the poor and to make fourfold restitution to any one he might have cheated. The story of Zacchaeus reinforces the lessons of the fifteenth chapter of Luke in which a lost sheep and a lost coin are found, and a lost son embraced. It also demonstrates the fact that nobody is beyond the possibility of conversion.

The tax and tax-collectors: Jericho was a very wealthy, commercial town in the Jordan valley, famous for its date palms and balsam groves. There were two major highways in Israel at that time, and one of them went through Jericho. Hence Jericho was one of the great tax centers of Palestine and its tax-collectors were rich and notorious. Zacchaeus, as chief tax-collector in Jericho, was probably a man of much wealth and few friends. From the time of Julius Caesar, the options for collecting Rome’s taxes were auctioned off to the highest bidder in each municipality. In order to win the bid, the prospective tax collector would have had to pay to Rome in advance all the taxes due in his locale. Then, he would hire agents who would help in collecting the taxes so that he could recoup his initial investment, pay his agents and make a generous profit as well. Because the tax collectors extorted sizable amounts of interest in addition to the taxes fixed by Rome, they were despised by their own townspeople. Since Zacchaeus had reached the top of his profession, he was the most hated man in the district, considered by the other Jews as a traitor, a thief and an outcast.

The officer up the tree: It was Passover time, which meant that tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims were coming down from Galilee, by-passing Samaria and coming to the toll booth at Jericho to pay their taxes. Bible scholars tell us that two or three million people showed up for the Passover. Jesus also made this trip, coming from Galilee in the north, to Jerusalem in the south, by way of Jericho. Since Jesus had become very famous by that time, people passing through the customs-house at Jericho wanted to see him. Naturally Zacchaeus was curious to see the new rabbi from Nazareth who, people said, welcomed tax-collectors and sinners as his friends. Zacchaeus might even have heard that a former tax- gatherer, Levi, was one of Jesus’ disciples. Therefore, despite any ridicule he might receive from the crowd, he resolved to get a look at Jesus. To escape the crowd and get a clear vision of Jesus, he climbed a sycamore tree--a tree with a short trunk and wide branches--and sat hidden in its leafy branches. Jesus noticed him, however, and asked him to come down from the tree and take him to his house. They went off together, the sinner and the Son of God. Just as Zacchaeus had exposed himself to ridicule by climbing a tree, so Jesus exposed himself to criticism by visiting Zacchaeus' house. A mere glance and a few words of acceptance from Jesus changed this man from the sinner the community thought him to be into a man to whom Jesus had brought salvation. The presence of Jesus had given to Zacchaeus the twin gifts of grace and justification. Zacchaeus' heart was changed and he repented of his sins.

The secret of instant conversion: What was the cause of Zacchaeus' instantaneous conversion? By entering Zacchaeus’ house, Jesus gave back to its owner the dignity that he had lost and restored his self image; he gave him a new life. By making no demands on Zacchaeus, Jesus gave him a feeling of acceptance and a new direction for his life. During the banquet, Zacchaeus made the solemn announcement of his repentance and commited himself to doing justice by the sharing of his wealth (half his possessions to the poor) and the making of reparations (fourfold to the defrauded). This exceeded the demands of the Torah (Ex 22:1-4, 21:2). Zacchaeus did not make this offer to win Jesus' approval, but to show his gratitude. Hence, confirming the integrity of Zacchaeus’ conversion and affirming the quality of his faith, Jesus announced that salvation had not come to Zacchaeus alone, but rather to his entire household. Zacchaeus’ household would now share in his blessings as they had previously shared in his unjust practices (Acts 10:2, 11:14, 16:15, 16:31, 18:8).

Son of Abraham once again: The story of the conversion of Zacchaeus ends with Jesus’ declaration, “the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” This man, who had previously been an outcast, is addressed by Jesus as a "son of Abraham." Zacchaeus was not saved in isolation. His salvation would affect the entire community, since he would provide support for the poor and restitution to those he had defrauded. A community would be transformed by the presence of a tax-collector whom people could trust. Zacchaeus reminds us that Jesus continues to call the strangest people from the strangest places. With more than seventy-five percent of Americans suffering from low self-esteem, Zacchaeus serves as a good example of how to resist and survive the critical comments of others.

Messages: 1) Accept the divine invitation for repentance. To refuse to admit that we are sinners is a fundamental impediment to the working of the mercy and grace of God in our hearts. A second and more common impediment is to refuse to listen to the call to repentance, which God so frequently sends out to us. We are all sinners to a greater or lesser degree. Jesus is inviting each one of us to total conversion today by means of this gospel lesson. Jesus is our loving brother who died that we might live. He is the Son of God, a God of infinite love. Hence let us expose and confess to him all our weaknesses and injustices. Let us remember that Jesus loves us in spite of our ugly thoughts, broken promises, sullied ideals, lack of prayer and faith, resentments and lusts. He will put us back on the straight road to heaven. We will become again true "sons and daughters of Abraham."

2) Love others as Jesus loves us in spite of our sins. Jesus loved Zacchaeus--the greatest of sinners--and by that love, Zacchaeus was transformed. How many parents and teachers can lovingly accept children without first setting up standards of behavior as conditions for being loved? Sometimes we have the temptation to withhold love from people we consider sinners. For example, a husband and wife may have qualities that grate on each other, prompting one spouse to withhold love from the other. There may be a temptation to withhold one’s love from a rebellious teenager. Perhaps our children make choices that disappoint us, and we become so frustrated by the consequences of their poor choices that we withhold our love from them. Our boss may be unlovable and autocratic, or our neighbor may become an object of hatred because of his incessantly barking dog. But just as Jesus loved Zacchaeus even though he was the worst of sinners, so we must love others in spite of their sin. Jesus expects this of us.

3) Call to generosity: Zacchaeus was changed from being greedy to being generous, from selfishness to selflessness. There was a change deep within his heart. Jesus wants us to move from our small and feeble faith to a greater and more powerful faith, just as Zacchaeus did. God wants us to be financially and spiritually generous. When we feel the warmth of God’s presence within us, that warmth will in itself melt our coldness and selfishness and lead us to repentance and generosity.

4) How would we respond to Jesus’ demand, "I must stay at your house today?" How would we react to such an invitation? Would we be ready to welcome Jesus into our home? Indeed, Jesus has visited the homes of each and every one of us. Through the Sacrament of Confirmation, we have received the indwelling Spirit of Christ within us. Through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we receive the Divine Presence of the Lord. Besides, "If we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is perfected in us" (1 Jn. 4:13). Hence let us be thankful to the Lord for coming to us. For those of us who have not yet received the Lord into our homes and lives, it is never too late to repent and welcome Him. Our Lord is a God of love, grace and mercy. He does not wish to see anyone lost. If we allow Jesus to enter our lives, our lives will change. Grace is the driving power behind this transformation. As we continue with the celebration of the Holy Mass, let us pray for all of us who do not yet have the indwelling of the Lord God in our homes and lives. Let us ask the Lord to reach out to us all as he reached out to Zacchaeus. The result will be repentance, transformation, sanctification, salvation.

Things to remember next time you feel like a worthless sinner and God can't use you: Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a day-dreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering problem, Gideon was a coward, Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a prostitute, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer, Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Naomi was a widow, Job went bankrupt, John the Baptist ate locusts, Peter denied Christ, the apostles fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything, the Samaritan woman was divorced more than once, Zacchaeus was too small, Paul was a fanatic, Timothy had an ulcer...and Lazarus was dead! We have no more excuses now. God can use us to our full potential. Besides we aren't the message; we are just the messenger.