"Salvation Has Come to This House" (Luke, 19: 9)

In today’s Gospel, Luke 19: 1-10, we meet Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus hears that Jesus is passing through his town. He wants to get a glimpse of him, so he climbs a sycamore tree so that he can see Him. Zacchaeus is a tax collector, a wealthy man. It is not his wealth that is the problem but his sinful behaviors and attitudes. He has committed fraud. He has deceived people, swindled them of their money. He’s cheated people of what is rightfully theirs.  Sound familiar?

Zacchaeus’ salvation is that he is looking for Jesus and Jesus, of course, is looking for him. Once the two of them meet, Zacchaeus’ life is changed forever. Why? Because he repents and promises the Lord that he will repay “four times over” those of whom he has taken advantage. Jesus says to him: Come down from that tree, Zacchaeus. I must “stay at your house” today. I must dine with you. In response to Zacchaeus’ confession of wrongdoing and promise of paying back what he owes his customers, Jesus says to him: “Today salvation has come to this house,” and reminds us that “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

Have you, have I, met Jesus? Have you and I welcomed Jesus into our houses—into our very beings so as to be purified? Saved? Have you and I repented of the times we have cheated another person, taken advantage of others, especially the poor, the elderly, the disadvantaged, lorded ourselves over others, used our wealth (material or otherwise) to violate another people’s right to be treated fairly, compassionately, kindly, respectfully?