THE ‘ZACCHAEUS ENERGY’

HOMILY FOR THE 31^ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

God is merciful to everyone; He can accomplish all things, even overlooking men’s sins so that they can repent. With these words, the Wisdom writer of the 1^st Reading (Wisdom 11:22-12:2) summarises the nature, love and desire of God to redeem the world He created. Yes, He is always ready to redeem us and to pardon our sins. The Gospel story (Luke 19:1-10) of Zacchaeus is a perfect example of the idea expressed in the 1^st Reading. God rescues the sinner. From the dust he lifts up the lowly. From his misery he raises the poor. The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14). 

The Lord Jesus entered Jericho. As someone whose fame had spread to many cities and regions, He was well-known and the people of Jericho were excited to see Him. Every person in the crowd wanted to catch a glimpse of Him. Jericho was a wealthy town in the Jordan valley, with the river to the East and Jerusalem to the West. Imagine, then, what a wealthy, corrupt and hated tax collector would have felt like in such a town where there were many sources of illicit taxation. Zacchaeus was a senior tax collector, and so he was materially very well-off. Despite all his wealth, he felt an inner emptiness. The dramatic way that Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus’ conversion expresses the firing-up of an energy within him by which he was emancipated from the inner poverty occasioned by his ill-gotten gains.

In his efforts to see Jesus, Zacchaeus faced a BIG challenge … his diminutive height! He was a man of small stature and he couldn’t see over anyone standing in front of him. Worse still, there was a great crowd standing in front of him. Perhaps this is more than just a statement about his physical limitations. He could well have been ‘short’ of self-esteem due to the deservedly terrible reputation of tax collectors, which  would have left him with little hope of God’s favour. Interestingly, he managed to surmount this challenge in an action that a lot of people would consider infradig for a man of his social standing. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. We can interpret this description as an ascent of faith. Truly, Zacchaeus did his part; it was for Jesus to respond. And sure enough, Jesus did go to him. This was one of those amazing moments when Our Lord reached out to someone in response to an invitation which disarmed all opposition. ‘Zacchaeus, come down! Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ Jesus embarrassed people because of the low personal opinions they held about Zacchaeus, and so they murmured and muttered under their breath. Their murmuring couldn’t make Jesus not save a soul. Through His gentle and loving approach, Jesus totally disarmed Zacchaeus, getting him to open up and give back his ill-gotten wealth to the poor and those he had cheated. Isn’t it true, then, that people are essentially good, but that this good has to be awakened and called forth? 

Being a host to Jesus gave Zacchaeus the opportunity to be saved. It led him to make a proper examination of his lifestyle and it gave him a strong purpose of amendment: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold. This would imply that he practically gave away all he had because he encountered the salvation of Christ. Oh, what energy! He ran and climbed the tree; and then he gave away everything he possessed. Indeed, we need that energy in our world today, the energy that can push each one of us in search of Christ (even in a manner that other people might consider infradig), the energy that can stir us up to make a proper examination of conscience, and make us empty ourselves for the sake of others. God needs that energy from us. He sees into the deepest depths of our hearts. He knows who those people are who genuinely seek Him in spirit and in truth, and He goes to them, for the Son of Man came to seek out and save what was lost (Luke 19:10). 

Today, salvation has come to this house. Long years of self-deception, of leading a corrupt lifestyle and of unnecessary hiding melted away in a single moment of grace. Salvation is a gift and could only be given by the grace of God. God gives his salvation to the broken-hearted. Zacchaeus truly broke himself in pieces, and  in doing so he gained conversion of heart and salvation, and he went on to reinstate himself as a son of Abraham. Zacchaeus was made ‘clean’, which is actually what his name means – ‘pure’. As members of God’s chosen people, we too desire this salvation. We know our constant need to be cleansed. Is it then possible for us to allow Christ to speak to each one of us today with those words He spoke to Zacchaeus: ‘today, salvation has come into this house’? May we be refreshed, both in the coming week and evermore, with the experience of Jesus that energised Zacchaeus. Amen. God bless you.