Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 30, 2022
           (click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
Zacchaeus comes back to God, and into his own
Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
But you have mercy on all. You overlook people’s sins that they may repent.
We are your children first, and your servants second. When we build our lives around your presence in all things, and we see ourselves through your eyes, we know our sin. And we know your love.
Your imperishable spirit is in all things. Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O Lord.
Each day I pray for purity and holiness, and each day I fall short. So each night I review and repent and receive God’s love – which he extends to me as forgiveness, as encouragement, as renewed hope and confidence in Him.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
And so it goes, day by day, for all my life. I was taught to love God as a boy, and then I became a tax collector and prospered until one day I heard about the miracle worker, the man with the famous parables, that he was coming to Jericho, my home town and where I made my business and my family and my dwelling. I couldn’t wait to see him.
But being short, I couldn’t see him through the crowd of taller men and women. They knew me, but they also knew I was the chief tax collector, and no one lifted me on their shoulders. I didn’t know what to do. More and more, I knew I had to see Jesus.
And he had to see me. Did I really believe that? But I thought so, and suddenly I saw a tree put there just for me, and I made for it, and shinnied up its shiny bark, and sat in the branches and looked down. Looked down on the whole crowd, and … looked right on down at Jesus. There he was. And then …
Zacchaeus! You come down! For I’m going to your house today.
All the people of Jericho seemed to be there. They were frowning, and when I jumped down from the tree they wanted to crush me with their disgust. Was Jesus going to get crushed too? But no. Jesus didn’t care what they thought; he looked at me like my mom and dad looked at me when I was born, and I was happy.
I shall give half my possessions to the poor, Lord, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.
Jesus was happy too. He told me I was saved, and he reminded me of my heritage.
This man too is a descendant of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.
So that night I dreamed I was in heaven, and Jesus invited me to dinner with him, and we had a wonderful time together. Just like I was his favorite, like I was his best friend, like he was human just like me, while with him I felt divine, just like him.
And I woke up, and the dream came true.
(Wisdom 11, Psalm 145, 2 Thessalonians 1, John 3, Luke 19)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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