TODAY’S GOSPEL REFLECTION 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C, 3RD NOVEMBER, 2013 THEME: SALVATION IN JESUS The First Reading of Today from the BOOK of WISDOM tells us of GOD’s love for His entire creature. He is a GOD who loves life and hates death and destruction. He is a merciful God who loves sinners and calls them to repentance. He says in Ezekiel 18:23: “As I, live says the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of sinner, but let him from his evil way and live”. The First Reading puts it this way: “You are merciful to all, because you can do all things and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent” {Wisdom 11:23}. Again, the Responsorial Psalm of Today says: “The Lord is kind and full of compassion slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord of all, compassionate to all his creatures” {Psalm 145:8-9}. This Love of God towards all His creatures particularly for sinners is made manifest in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says: “For God’s so love the World that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in him may not die may have eternal life”. We see this LOVE of GOD in the Story of Zacchaeus. However, even though the love of God is abundant to all His creatures, we too must make efforts to be close and near to Him. These were the Lessons of the story of Zacchaeus: FIRSTLY, the story of Zacchaeus teaches us how to overcome the Crowd through faith: The Gospel Reading tells us how Zacchaeus removes all hindrances in meeting Jesus. Far from being discouraged by the CROWD, and his HEIGHT, he climbed on top of a tree to have a glimpse of Jesus. Yes, he who wants to see Jesus must remove all obstacles and go a different way to be with him. But who want to remain closed up in his own ghetto will have no chance of meeting Jesus. In other words, Zacchaeus went great length to see Jesus; he did not allow anything – not the crowd or his height – to come between him and objective of seeing Jesus. In the scriptures there are a lot of persons who overcome the crowd in order to see the presence of Jesus for healing. THE FOUR FRIENDS OF THE PARALYTIC removed the roof of a house because of the crowd in other for their friend to meet Jesus {Mark 2:1-12} Again, BARTIMAEUS THE BLIND BEGGAR overcame the crowd by calling on Jesus all the louder when the crowd tried to shun him down {Mark 10:46-48}. The crowds here can be: yourself, father, mother, brothers, sisters, friends business and so on. The question is; are those obstacles preventing us to reaching Jesus? Therefore, no matter how bad the situation may be let us always seek the presence of Jesus through faith. SECONDLY, the story of Zacchaeus teaches us that OUR SOULS ARE PRECIOUS AND VALUABLE TO GOD. That is Jesus says at the conclusion of the Gospel Reading of today: “For the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost” {Luke 19:10}. Because our souls are dear and precious to God, He can take any RISK to save us. Despite the kind of life Zacchaeus was living, a sinner, a tax collector, a cheater, God was still move by love and compassion for him. In other words, God is prepared to run the Risk of “Scandalizing” a whole lot of “good” people in order to save a single soul that has gone astray. It is only God who can take the Risk of leaving ninety-nine sheep in search of a strayed one because of His love {Matthew 18:12ff}. THIRDLY, the story of Zacchaeus teaches us that NO ONE WHO ENCOUNTERS GOD REMAINS THE SAME: When Zacchaeus encountered Christ, his life was completely changed. He was totally converted and repentant of sins. He who sincerely wants to encounter Jesus experience his presence become a new creation. You may ask God for a car, house, and clothes and may not give you, BUT if you ask to see His PRESENCE He cannot deny you. When Zacchaeus seek his presence his found it. No wonder he says in Matthew 7:7: “SEEK and YOU shall FIND” FOURTHLY, Zacchaeus teaches us on the need to repent from our sins. Once Zacchaeus encountered Jesus he became a changed man. He took the decision: “Lord, look, half of my goods. I hereby give to the poor. And if I have cheated anybody, I will pay him back four times the amount”. Zacchaeus makes his confession and is ready to make good, the harm done. He was sorry for his sins and was ready for reconciliation. For he knew; “what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? {Mark 8:36}. That was why Jesus assured him of eternal life. This attitude of Zacchaeus calls for conversion and repentance of our sins. If all those have embezzled the fund that was meant to develop our country should wake-up one day and begin to make restitution and refunding of the money they have embezzled and the funds been used for the appropriate places the they were meant, this country at least in the next five years will not make any national budget because of the surplus of the embezzled funds.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 21:59:42 +0000