For today I must stay at your house

It seems to me that there are always going to be those people who grumble. No matter what the situation, there's someone nearby that sees what is going on in the worst possible light. If something bad happens, well you probably deserved it; if something good happens then this is just another example of the gross injustice of life. They quite often go so far as to make accusations, don't they? I see this happening in the Lord's presence in this Sunday's Gospel. "When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 'He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.' ” It reminds me of elsewhere in the Gospels where people said that if He really was the Son of God, then He would know that this person is a sinner. It seems to be intended to cast into doubt our Lord's divinity.

But clearly, there is more going on here than what is written; and this is what I truly love about scripture. It is so deep and rich and full that a simple passage such as Jesus inviting Himself over another man's house because he climbed a tree to see Him, is worthy of deep contemplation. I believe that contemplating scripture in this way always leads to an encounter with our Lord.....

Consider that there are many recorded encounters with our Lord in the Gospels, and very few of these people responded by pledging half of their possessions to the poor. Not only this, but Zacchaeus pledges to make amends for any harm he has caused by paying four-fold anything he has extorted from anyone. He is a sinner and he knows it. But this kind of things does not happen because a man invites himself over your house. Does it? So there must have been something going on in the heart of Zacchaeus that our Lord, who knows men's hearts, responded to. There was a crowd around Jesus at the time, so much so that Zacchaeus had to run up ahead and climb a tree to see Jesus. Scripture does not tell us that anyone else in the crowd was singled out for a visit. But Jesus tells Zacchaeus that He MUST stay at his house. Perhaps this is because our Loving God always responds to a heart that is seeking Him.

Zacchaeus was not a grumbler; he could not get near to our Lord, so instead of perhaps lamenting his small stature and the large crowd, he tried his best to see Jesus; and Jesus responded. Jesus always responds. My offering for your consideration; Don't be a grumbler. Seek the Lord; and be prepared for your visitation!

"For today I must stay at your house........"

+Theophilus