Zaccheus encounters Christ

          In our second reading today, St. Paul talks about people who are overly concerned about the Second Coming of Christ as well as the end of the world. Both events certainly will happen someday but, as the second reading says, there are always people always think the end is just around the corner. Paul tells them (and us) not to believe every exciting tidbit that they hear. Paul tells them not to over-react to everything that is allegedly from him and other authorities of the faith. Be careful of what you get second  or third hand.

          To me, this seems incredibly appropriate for our own day. People hear something that allegedly our Pope has said, but it has been twisted like a pretzel by whomever they are hearing it from. Yet people are likely to take it as gospel more than the actual Gospel. In our culture, we are often getting a second or third hand account from some organization whose purpose it is to constantly attack our Church. The organization claims to be conveying a brand new message from our pope, and this misinformation is believed more readily than the truth the pope said, because his whole message in context is not accurately quoted. People get excited over misinformation all the time.

          This is what happens to me practically after every news report about the pope: I get a phone call or an email saying, “Hey I heard the pope is changing what the Church teaches on A, B, or C. As soon as I hear someone say that phrase, “changing the Church’s teaching” without giving an explanation how the change fits with everything that came before, I know something got mis-communicated. When you read (or hear somewhere) just a few sentences without context claiming to be some new church teaching or policy, and your inner alarm system goes off, because this new message is completely out of character with the Church, what do you do, what should I do, - check it out!

          This is exactly what Zaccheus does in the gospel today. Zaccheus had heard of Jesus. We don’t know exactly what he had heard about Christ, but whatever it was, Zaccheus know he had to check it out for himself, and not believe the interesting but contradictory stories. To his joy and surprise, Zaccheus discovered that Jesus was new and different. Jesus saw through him at a glance! Not only that, Jesus did not turn away from him in disgust, but looked on him with love! Incredible! That had never happened to Zaccheus before!

       Everyone in town who knew Zaccheus looked at him with hate, because he was gouging their money out of them, sending the legislated tribute to Rome, and living most comfortably off the surplus he, Zaccheus, had milked them out of. People would spit on the ground and turn away in scorn rather than exchange cordial greetings and engage him in small talk, never mind visit him or invite him to their homes! As a tax collector Zaccheus was a pariah, and he knew it.

      What was it that moved him to make a fool of himself in front of everyone by climbing a tree to see Jesus?  Maybe it was curiosity, or perhaps Grace stirring his soul, but experienced by him as curiosity? Whatever moved him, what Zaccheus did was surprising and inexplicable to the rest of the crowd around him. He sought a personal encounter with Christ, He wanted to see the face of this Jesus, see him as close up as he could. He had no idea what the results would be.

      He didn’t know beforehand that Christ’s glance would penetrate him, make him feel naked, yet not naked and ashamed,  but not just naked and exposed in all his sinfulness, but loved and forgiven, called and pardoned! It was unbelievable, but it was real. This was a look of love that cleansed him and accepted him even as it exposed him to himself. Christ also put that cleansing look of love into words and called him by name: “Zaccheus, come down! I must stay at your house tonight. I want to pay you a visit. Will you put me up? Will you let me in? Can I come and dwell with you?”

The crowd was stunned. So much so that they voiced their shock: “Birds of a feather flock together. If he is going to the house of that scumbag, well, just what does that tell you about him?!" They didn’t know what had taken place in the encounter between Christ and Zaccheus. But Zaccheus knew. He had been made new. That’s why he unashamedly speaks with a changed heart and promises to give his ill gotten gains away. He has to witness to the merciful love he has just received.

So do I; so do you. So do all of us who call ourselves followers of Christ. We need to take a page from the book of Pope Francis, and speak out of the love Christ has poured into us. Perhaps it would be a good thing for us to take the necessary step to have an in-your-face, personal encounter first?