31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Taking Advantage of our Shortness

When I was a kid, one of the biggest struggles I had was the difficulty of accepting the fact that I was short. I felt so insecure about my shortness that even if my friends and classmates were just playfully teasing me, often times, I got mad or super sensitive.

But then I realized that I cannot forever balk at the fact that I am short. I came to realize that there are both advantages and disadvantages in being short. The important thing to know is how to maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages of being short. This shortcoming also inspired me to try to excel in other things which does not involve height like academics and arts. Looking at my childhood now, one of my regrets is that I should have taken more advantage of my being short rather than delving into my insecurity of it.

In the gospel of today’s 31st Sunday in ordinary time we hear the story of Zacchaeus who, among his many shortcoming, is being small and short in stature. But his greater shortcoming is that he assumed a despised and resented occupation. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and he got rich by exploiting his own people through collecting taxes for the hated Romans.

But instead of delving into his misdeeds, he probably for a long time, sought redemption. The biggest opening came when he came to know about Jesus. He wanted to meet Jesus and he saw his biggest chance when Jesus was passing by his town of Jericho. But because he was physically short and because people resented him, no one would possibly let him through to the front. Thus, he did something creative, he climbed a sycamore tree which provided him with the greatest vantage point to see Jesus and for Jesus to see him.

True enough, Jesus, and the crowd, saw him. And to the biggest surprise of the crowd, Jesus told Zacchaeus,

“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”

What follows was a miracle of conversion. Zacchaues repented from his old ways and gave half of all his possessions to the poor.

“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.”

To appreciate more the meaning of this story, we need to go back to the previous chapter in the gospel–Luke 18. Luke 18 is full of talk about the kingdom of God and who gets to enter it. “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it” (Lk 18:17). This is immediately illustrated by the counterexample of the rich official who refuses Jesus’ invitation because of his attachment to his wealth. This is followed by the famous sayings about the near impossibility of the wealthy entering the kingdom, followed by the hopeful hint that “what is impossible for human beings is possible for God.” There follows the third prediction of the passion to the Twelve, who fail to comprehend. Then comes the curing of a blind man who knows exactly what ails him: “Lord, please let me see.” To which Jesus replies, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

With these episodes in the immediate background, we can recognize that Zacchaeus has what the rich ruler (blinded by his wealth) lacked. However ill-gotten his wealth, Zacchaeus has retained a childlike ability to keep seeking the truth. He really wants to see who Jesus is. Most significantly, Zacchaeus was able to rise above the challenge of Jesus’ saying on the difficulty of rich men entering the kingdom:

“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Indeed, Zacchaeus is a sign of hope for redemption, especially for rich people. Rich people can enter the kingdom of God, if they repent and surrender their wealth through the grace of God. The grace of Jesus unveiled the truth about Zacchaeus, who in reality was concerned for the welfare of others. What changed in Zacchaeus was his concern for those whom he had defrauded. He had always been generous with the poor, but now he cared about all the oppressed. His conversion was not only in charity but also justice towards the poor and oppressed.

Zacchaeus is a prime example for all of us on how to convert our shortcomings and wrongdoings into greater good by seeking salvation through the power and love of Jesus. By accepting our flaws and seeking to amend our lives through Jesus, we can experience the utter joy and peace Zacchaeus felt when Jesus entered his house,

“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.”

I am passionate about the intersection between new media and technology. I continue to research and apply new media in theology and vice-versa. I am also a fan of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and her continuing relevance in today’s digital world.
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