Thirty First Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

‘Do not be scandalised by God’s mercy towards other’

‘Yet you are merciful to all because you can do all things’. This is what we heard from today’s first reading from the book of Wisdom 11 verse 22 to chapter 12 verse 2. It talked about the unending power of God’s mercy towards his people despite all their unfaithfulness. In the light of the first reading, we can relate to today’s Gospel where God expresses his infinite mercy in a most profound and unconditional way to a tax collector, namely Zacchaeus’, someone whom the people probably considered unworthy of God’s forgiveness.

Indeed, based on the human logic of the people, this son of Abraham deserved no mercy and was not worthy to receive nor associate with the son of God. As is often the case, God’s ways are not our ways. To us, God’s ways could often appear irrational and unjust. Yet, his ways are the path to peace, unity and reconciliation for which we all long for. 

In today’s Gospel from Luke 19 verse 1 to 10, when the people saw, Jesus enter Zacchaeus’ House, they wondered and even complained why Jesus should associate with such a character. The reaction of the people may not be so unfamiliar with our experiences today if we think about it for a moment. How many times we encountered certain people and probably due to their character, background or class, have asked ourselves why they should have the opportunities they have or even why they should be one of us.

If we remember the last Sunday’s Gospel, we would see that a similar thing repeats itself in today’s Gospel. In the last Sunday’s Gospel, we were told that the publican went home at right with God but the Pharisee who judged him unworthy did not. Today’s Gospel again shows that the tax collector Zacchaeus, like the Publican in last Sunday’s Gospel, went away at right with God while the people were busy judging him unworthy.

Clearly, the problem here was not about Jesus’ action or the sinfulness of Zacchaeus but rather something more serious. What the gospel in a sense shows us is how easily we could be tempted to misconstrue Christ’s mission of saving the lost sheep to something else. It could be due to people’s unwillingness to open to God’s own logic. However, Jesus made it very clear that his mission was to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel and that includes Zacchaeus. I think the question for me today would be, is my life aligned with Christ’s mission of saving the lost sheep to which we have all been called or am I still busy excluding others as a way of defining who I am ?

Indeed, it is a cause of great joy that we have a God who is slow to anger and abounding in mercy. Who sees us and runs to us when we are far away from him. A God who is always faithful even when we are unfaithful. The Gospel as it were calls us to openness to God’s unconditional mercy and self-giving to all. Lack of openness to God’s unconditional love to everyone could make us rejoice in other people’s pains, losses, and as it were happy when they are excluded from the household of God.

We may sometimes be faced with the temptation of judging or even objecting to God’s mercy towards others most especially persons that may have hurt or caused us serious pains in life. Perhaps, the people’s reaction in today’s Gospel would have been due to the way the Tax Collectors of those days exploited them. Their reactions may have issued from a deep sense of hurt and pain. I am sure that Jesus understood that, but they must move beyond resentment and exclusionary attitude so as to embrace the unfathomable mercy of God.  I know this can be quite difficult to face. Hence, saint Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians acknowledges the difficulties of living up to this Christian calling,  and thus  prayed for the strength that comes from God alone. So, we need to continually ask for God’s grace to see and understand that it was for such as these (the outcast, sinners, those written of by the society etc) that Jesus came and died. For while we were still sinners and without the knowledge of God, the scripture says, Jesus died for us.

The Eucharist we celebrate then, is a holy outpouring of God’s unconditional mercy and self-giving towards us. It is indeed a table of unity, forgiveness, acceptance and love. We are therefore called to express it towards the abandoned, the rejected, the weak and the poor by embracing Jesus’ opened arms of unconditional love and mercy for all people.  And thus, avoid every exclusionary attitude towards others.

 I would like to end with this quotation from today’s first reading from the Book of wisdom:

It says, “Little by little, therefore, you correct those who offend you, you admonish and remind them of how they have sinned, so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you Lord”.

 Let us pray

 Almighty God, since it is in being open to your mercy towards others that we are opened to your mercy towards ourselves, open our hearts therefore to embrace your mercy, acceptance and grace towards others and thus discover the depth of your mercy and our oneness in your love. We make our prayers through Christ our Lord.

The Lord be with you,

May the Almighty God bless you, the Father and the  Son and the Holy Spirit.  

Go in peace and Happy Sunday.