“‘… Make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’” (Luke 19:10).
I have been reflecting on the story of Zacchaeus today…
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’” (Luke 19:1-10).
And I have been reflecting on Zacchaeus and what it was about him that allowed Christ to notice him that day…
You see, Christ was passing through the area. It is quite possible – in fact it is probably – that Christ chose that particular route at that particular time just so that He could have the opportunity to “bump” into Zacchaeus. And there was Zacchaeus – small, hated (he was a tax collector after all) and sort of crazy. After all, he thought nothing of climbing a tree to wait for Christ.
Have you climbed a tree lately? It is hard work. You sort of scrape your hands and feet and arms and legs. You sweat on your way up and get a bit dizzy on your way down. It is much much easier to keep your two feet planted firmly on the floor. And yet – still Zacchaeus climbed the tree. Why?
Well, we are told why… He was curious… He wanted to see Christ but he really did not know how he could get to Him…
And I have been reflecting on that today, because that curiosity – that desire to uncover something more – is at the foundation of every encounter with God…
Peter Kreeft was a protestant philosopher, who decided to study the Early Church to prove that Christ had founded the Protestant Church and not the Catholic Church. But as he began to satisfy his curiosity, he discovered that the opposite was true – and he came to believe the words of Blessed John Henry Newman who said, “To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant”…
And I have been reflecting on that. For one can only be curious about things within their awareness. And just as Zacchaeus could only be curious enough about Christ to climb the tree when he knew that Christ was coming by, so too can those souls with whom I have encounters in the world be curious about my Beloved if I take Him with me where I go.
And I have been thinking about that today. For I am a temple of the Holy Spirit. And God does not ask much of me. All He asks is that I carry Him with me and speak with His voice and act with His hands… For it is only when I do as He would do that I am going to be able to help others to beceom curious about my Beloved.
And all He needs from them is a little curiosity – just like with Zacchaeus – for a little curiosity will mean that He will have the opportunity to say to them (as He said to Zacchaeus), “‘…make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’”(Luke 19:10).
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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