I must stay at your house today

I must stay at your house today

By REV. FR. SAMUEL FREDERICK

2 Macc. 6:18-31, Lk. 19:1-10. Eleazar, in today's first reading, was called not to a change of lifestyle but to stay true to his religious identity, even to the point of losing his very life to martyrdom. Again, by losing, he gained much and even at the point of death, he declared his joy at staying true to the Lord God. Eleazar’s martyrdom brought a blessing to his entire nation, leaving an unforgettable example of loyalty to what God required of them. In the same way, Zacchaeus' restitution brought salvation to his house.

Zacchaeus seems to be a seeker, a searcher for a nobler kind of life. He was anxious to encounter Jesus and for this, he was ready to go out of his way to sit on the Sycamore tree. This was an undignified thing for a wealthy man of status. He made unusual effort to see Jesus, to come to know Him. In the process he found that the one he wanted to meet was also searching for Him: “I must stay at your house today." When we search for God we should know that God is also searching for us. When Zacchaeus invites Jesus to dine, he receives hospitality, the hospitality of the mercy of God. Zacchaeus talks to Jesus and says that he gives back half of his properties and restores to those he defrauded by returning it "four times over." By his four fold restitution, salvation came to his house and a new sense of his own dignity, for he was also a child of Abraham. This tax-collector found his place at God’s table, in spite of his past. Whenever we seek the Lord, we find He is always near us all the time.

May the Lord grant us patience in the journey of conversion and a strong resolve to return all that we have defrauded! Amen!! Good morning and have a gracious day!!!

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