Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 19: 1 - 10

 

What was Jesus thinking?  A tax collector?  He invites himself to dinner at the home of a tax collector?  A collaborator with the Romans?  And not collecting taxes for the public good, but to build palaces and line the pockets of these belligerent occupiers.

 

Scandal!  Unacceptable!

 

I am sure many followers of Jesus were disillusioned by such behavior and turned away.  But that didn’t matter to Jesus, did it?  “This man too is a descendant of Abraham.”  That’s what Jesus saw in Zacchaeus.  He looked past the sins, and saw Zacchaeus for who he truly was.  For who we all truly are.

 

And the best part?  Jesus didn’t say – or even imply – that if  Zacchaeus repented and mended his ways, then He would see Zacchaeus as a descendant of Abraham.  No, Jesus’ acceptance of Zacchaeus for who he was – sins and all – was what transformed him.

 

Who in my life do I refuse to have dinner with?  Whose hand do I refuse to shake? Whose company do I refuse to be in because it would be unacceptable, scandalous?  Whoever that person is, that person is also a descendant of Abraham, a child of the Father, a brother or sister of Jesus.

 

And every time I reject even a person’s company because of their sins, for who they are – I take away an opportunity for God to transform them.

 

Do I really want to stand in God’s way?

 

 

“Call Me Ishmael”