How thrilled would we be if Jesus invited himself into our
homes and our hearts?
In Luke’s Gospel this Sunday, Jesus does just that: he invites himself into the home of the chief
tax collector Zacchaeus (without regard to protocol), and Zacchaeus is
thrilled! Jesus has overlooked whatever
sins Zacchaeus might carry, and lets nothing get in the way of the
future-looking salvation he has come to bring.
And that salvation takes the form of a relationship through which Zacchaeus is reinstated into the community. He is saved, and it's all God's initiative.
Like the portrait of God in this week’s reading from Wisdom,
Jesus is merciful and compassionate, seeking relationship with us, looking
beyond our brokenness, past our sins and mistakes, and loving us simply because
we are – astounding! Created by God,
in God’s image, we are loved by a gracious
and merciful God (Psalm 145). Like the faith
Paul has in the Thessalonians – that they will be worthy
of God’s calling – we, too, need to be worthy,
open to the call, open to the love God offers, open to God’s invitation into
our hearts, and into our homes.
How can you open your heart to God’s inviting love this
week?
This post is based on Fr. Pat's Scripture class.
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