CHRISTIAN LIVING 9

Mr. Solomon A. Patnaan

ZACCHAEUS THE TAX COLLECTOR

Luke 19:1-10

He (Jesus) came to Jericho and intended

to pass through the town. Now a man there
named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax
collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking
to see who Jesus was; but he could not see
him because of the crowd, for he was short in
stature. So, he ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was
about to pass that way. When he reached the
place, Jesus looked up and said to him,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I
must stay at your house.” And he came down
quickly and received him with joy. When they
all saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the
Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I
shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted
anything from anyone I shall repay it four
times over.” And Jesus said to him, “Today
salvation has come to this house because this
man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the
Son of Man has come to seek and to save what
was lost.”

Reflection:
Jesus mirrors his Father’s unconditional love for sinners, in today’s gospel when he
visited Jericho. Jesus must have been quite a celebrity and everyone wanted to see him, because
the crowds were so thick Zacchaeus couldn’t see over them, because he was shorter than
everyone else.
That in itself is an awesome thing, because Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a great
sinner. He became a wealthy man by cheating people out of their money, so why was he
interested in a religious figure like Jesus? Something Christ said must have touched the colder
recesses of his heart, because he was determined to find a way to get a good look at him and so
he climbed a tree.
This story about Zacchaeus is a lot like the extremes young people will go through just
to get near their favorite musician at a concert, or even how the crowds gather at Saint Peter’s
square to see the pope. The musicians have body guards to protect them from the crowd and
so does the Pope. However, the pope makes provisions to stop and briefly have contact with
those who have come to see him. He makes a point to acknowledge them and kiss their babies.
Zacchaeus was hidden in the tree though, when Christ walked by. Jesus looked up and
told him to “come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” Zacchaeus must have
reacted with astonishment and it makes you wonder if Jesus laughed about his reaction? The
gospel said Zacchaeus received him with great joy. And of course, the crowd was jealous
because Zacchaeus was such a sinner, and they complained so much that Zacchaeus promised
to repay everyone four times what he owed them.
Zacchaeus would not have stopped cheating and stealing from people if it wasn’t for
Christ’s acceptance of him, just as he was. Christ loved him, accepted Zacchaeus
unconditionally, and personally included him in his life, even though he knew what a great
sinner he was. This is what caused Zacchaeus’ change of heart.
Love is the only thing that causes conversion. If we just knew how to love more like
Christ loves people, our world would change and become a better place. Christ was able to love
deeply, because he is both human and divine. The Holy Spirit bound him and his Father
together and they thought, loved and acted as one. Christ was rooted in his Father’s love.
Just as Jesus was rooted in His Father’s love, our heart needs to be centered in God’s
unconditional love for us, in order for us to be able to begin loving other people the way that
Jesus did.
Zacchaeus was definitely the recipient of grace in the gospel reading today though. He
received an over abundance of grace, because he was physically close to Jesus. Zacchaeus drew
near to Jesus, and Jesus in turn drew near to him, to the point of actually staying in his house.
However, Zacchaeus didn’t set a good example for anyone in his community, they
looked down on him for the kind of life he led. But, the beautiful example of Zacchaeus’ life is
how he set things right again. Zacchaeus recognized the truth in Jesus’ words when he heard
them, and then he did something about it.
If our lives have been less than perfect, then Zacchaeus can give us hope that things can
be set right again in our lives as well, no matter what the past may be. Christ didn’t judge
Zacchaeus. On the contrary, he invited himself to dinner at his house! Maybe we could work a
little harder on inviting Jesus into our homes as well. That would be a good thought for the
day. How can we invite Jesus to enter into our homes a little more than what we have been
doing lately, and truly make him the center of our lives?

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WRITTEN ACTIVITY:
Please read the Gospel and reflection carefully with comprehension.
Answer the following questions below.
1 paragraph each answer, each answer should consist 7-10 sentences. Portrait. Short
Bond. Arial and 11 Font size. Please answer it creatively.
Submit it when we have Face to Face Classes.

Criteria: 10 pts. each

a. Content – Should contain a personal answer of reflection. (5 pts.)
b. Creativity – Should write the reflection crafted beautifully as well as observed technicalities
in terms of grammars and the number of sentences and paragraphs. (3 pts.)
c. Cleanliness – The was clean and neat including the use of creativity in its appearance.
(2pts)
1. REFLECT ON PERSONAL PURSUITS:
 In the case of Zacchaeus, he went to great lengths to find Jesus, even climbing a tree to
find Him. A time when you were so excited about an interview or event that you kept
thinking about it. What opportunities were there, and what made you try so hard? How
did the experience affect you?

2. EXAMINING PERSONAL TRANSFORMATIONS:

 Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus changed his life dramatically. Think of a time when
acceptance or love from someone triggered a positive change in your own life. What
caused this change and how did it affect your character or attitude? Are there areas of
your life where you feel you can still improve or positively change through similar
sessions?

3. CREATING SPACE FOR CHRIST IN DAILY LIFE:

 The story emphasizes the importance of inviting Jesus into our homes and making him
the center of our lives. In your daily routine, how do you currently allow for spiritual
reflection or connection with faith? Do you have specific practices or habits that you
more deliberately invite Jesus into your home and daily activities? Consider practical
steps you can take to strengthen your spiritual life and make it an integral part of your
day.