19 November 2019
Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Zacchaeus responds to Jesus beautifully. What he is willing to do for Jesus in reparation for his many sins should inspire us all to ask what we must do to right our own past wrongs. If we wish to have a response like Zacchaeus’, we should first see his underlying attitude: when Jesus called Zacchaeus down to be with Him, Zacchaeus “came down quickly and received him with joy” (Lk. 19:6). There was no fear or worry on Zacchaeus’ part. As soon as Jesus called out to Zacchaeus, he knew that Jesus would care for him. From that conviction came his generosity, and determination to repent.
If we are to repent as Zacchaeus did, we too must go to Jesus with eagerness and joy. Like Zacchaeus, we must be absolutely convinced that Jesus loves us and desires our good. This conviction likely did not come out of thin air for Zacchaeus. He had surely heard by now of Jesus’ love and mercy, and the wonderful things He had done for others. We must likewise remind ourselves of this. Better still, we must strive to see the ways in which Jesus has shown love and mercy to us, even in our sins. If we see this, we will trust Him all the more, and bound to Jesus with joy, even as He call us to repentance.