Thoughts for the Day

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As you travel down the winding road from the heights of Jerusalem (2,700 feet) passing through the hills of the Jordan desert and following a steep valley where no water has run for years, you suddenly get a distant view of the valley floor. As far as the eye can see there is arid, brown desert, except for one thing. In the middle is what seems like a jewel! It is the city of Jericho (-850 feet). Thousands of phoenix palms and flowering fruit trees together with the glint of water from the many streams gives it a magical appearance.

In today's reading from Luke's Gospel (another incident found only in his work), Jesus is on the last stage of his long journey on foot from Galilee to Jerusalem. He has travelled from his base in Capernaum down the east side of the Jordan before cutting across the river to Jericho. He will then face the steep climb up to Jerusalem. But before this he passes through one of the oldest towns on earth, Jericho. Here, Matthew says in his Gospel Jesus healed two blind men (Matthew 20.29-34); here, Jesus sets the background of the Parable of the Good Samaritan - on the stony path between Jericho and Jerusalem - the priest and the Levite hurry to the Temple in Jerusalem and ignore the injured man who is rescued by a Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37); and here also in Luke's Gospel we get the story of the conversion of Jericho's chief tax-collector. This is the second time Jesus has commended a tax-collector for his confession and change of attitude, and we can almost feel his joy on hearing Zacchaeus' words.

This is how we too are greeted when we submit to our Lord, ask His absolution for our sins, and seek to change our ways.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may we learn to follow the example
of Zacchaeus
and confess our sin to You.
Help us to be honest with You
and with ourself,
acknowledging where we have failed.
Then may we make serious
amendments to our life.
Amen.