In ancient
Judea to be a tax collector was to be a sinner. A chief tax collector, like
Zaccheus, was a chief sinner, as could be seen by his great wealth. This great
wealth was achieved by collecting more in taxes than was due to the Roman
government and pocketing the difference. Zaccheus would have been one of the
most hated men in Jericho.
But God cannot
hate anything He created. All of existence is maintained by His active will.
And so the Son of Man came to seek out and to save what was lost. Zaccheus,
sinner that he may have been, was a descendant of Abraham and Jesus saw in him
something that could be saved.
This is why the
Word was made flesh and came to live among us. He came to restore our broken
relationship with God. Christ came to offer us the very thing that we lost
through rebellion and disobedience.
We were made to
live in communion with God. When we accept the offer of Jesus we experience the
calm and serenity that Zaccheus experienced when salvation came to his house.
This is the Peace of Christ.
We cannot
achieve this on our own. We have tried, many times, and failed. Our happiness
here on earth and in the kingdom to come depends upon our right relationship
with God.
Remember then
when you encounter that person who seems to exist solely to try your patience,
that this too is a person God died for.
Pax Vobiscum
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
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