31st Sunday of the Year
Our readings today are optimistic, hope-filled, and life giving. That first reading, from the Book of Wisdom is, in effect, a ballad to the God of Creation. But, before he begins his real work, the balladeer puts his subject in perspective: "The whole world is like a grain of dust that tips the scales, like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground." We are part of a larger scheme of things, and that awareness should always ground us. However, despite the fact that we are but a tiny speck in the greater scheme of things, this does not mean at all that we are insignificant. "You love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence." Then, with impeccable logic, the author reminds God: "For had you hated anything, you would not have formed it." He then addresses God as 'Lover of life': "You spare all things, because all things are yours, you whose imperishable spirit pervades all." This contrasts greatly with the pessimistic strand that runs like a scar through traditional Catholic Theology: I refer to 'The world, the flesh and the devil' school. Everything visible and tangible was a source of temptation, and a harbinger of gloom and doom. That obviously is not how the author of the Book of Wisdom sees it. The world and humanity was created by God; and, like all works of art, it reveals the vision and perspective of the artist.
And this viewpoint was endorsed irrevocably when God became man, when he opted for flesh and blood as the most promising agent of self-revelation.
Jesus was obviously an extraordinary character. Even the interest of Zacchaeus was aroused. "He wanted to see what kind of man Jesus was." Luke tells us. He seems to have been more interested in his physical appearance than in his teaching. Since he was a small man, he climbs up a tree to get a good view of him. Once again, smallness should be no impediment to vision; handicaps can be overcome with a little ingenuity. This is our experience too. As Christians we will often be forced to view matters from a different, higher perspective. Circumstances in our own personal lives force us sometimes to climb trees, to look at things from another perspective, to take a broader landscape into account. Then we hope the Lord will approach us as he approaches Zacchaeus, and force his love upon us: 'Zacchaeus, I must stay at your house today.' The Lord invites himself to a meal at the house of Zacchaeus. He will assist on accompanying us too if we make a similar effort to climb the tree and recognise him.
Finally, you will have noticed that Zacchaeus and his kind was not 'flavour of the month' in the Palestine of his day. He was a senior tax collector and a wealthy man. The implication is rather obvious: he is a wealthy man because he is a tax collector. Tax collectors were a despised lot then too. They were despised for two reasons: they were agents of a foreign power, the Roman Empire. It was they who facilitated the foreigners rule. Secondly, there was a well-founded suspicion that they took care to line their own pockets before they submitted the takings to Rome. So 'tax collectors and sinners' are mentioned in the scriptures in the one breath. They are almost synonymous terms. They are hated, they are despised. In fact the crowds make the connection immediately: 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house' they complained. Then Jesus delivers his punch-line: he came to seek out and save what was lost. That too is the God we are dealing with. Only sinners are of interest to him, because only sinners recognise their need for him.