Conversion is Reestablishment of Relationship

(Zacchaeus meeting Jesus)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!

Everyone in this earth is in need of something. Some of us are in need of love; some others are in need of consolation; some are in want of wealth; some others of luxury. In the process of acquiring all these needs and wants, we terribly break our relationship with our fellow men. We try to acquire our requirements and amaze our richness at the cost of relationships. Today’s liturgy invites everyone of us to re-make such broken relationships, and to re-establish the order prevailed in the beginning.

The basic understanding of Sin is nothing but “breaking of relationship with God and with one another. We may say that we never intend to break away our relation with our God. But breaking the relationship with God is nothing but breaking our relation with our fellow human beings. For it is said, If I am not in good terms with my neighbour, I am not in relation with God. The so called ‘Original Sin’ is nothing but the sign of ‘broken relationship.” It is not just disobedience to the command and the commitment of the Lord, but it is a willful detachment from God, that express I do not belong to you any more.

Something similar we come across in today’s liturgy of the word. A man called Zacchaeus, the chief tax-collector has willfully broken his relationship with his people, and so naturally with God. He collects more tax what he is supposed to collect. Therefore he entitled to be a ‘sinner’ but what teaches us lesson is later part of the reading from this man Zacchaeus we can learn two distinct and important qualities.

1. His desire: to be re-united with God and fellow men.

2. His determination: in achieving his desire even at the cost of all his wealth.

1. His Desire

It is true he is a sinner. But there should have been a great longing deep down in his heart to be converted to the life of righteousness, and witness. He should have heard about the call of St.Matthew, the tax-collector. Therefore Zacchaeus should have been waiting for a chance to see “Who Jesus is?” He knows that Jesus is a man who accepts even the so called sinners. It might have created in him curiosity to see Jesus, for in spite of his wealth he was not accepted in the society. It is true with everyone of us. Even though we have broken our relationship with our fellow men, deep down of our heart we want to be re-united but do we proved to the next step like Zacchaeus?

2. His Determination

Like any one of us he has desire. But in spite of all the difficulties, humiliations, he proceeds in achieving his desire. He determines to see Jesus whatever may be the cost, he is a man disliked by all. Therefore, making use of the chance, in the crowd people would have given him much trouble. Even then he decides to climb the tree. Tree stands for “Life” in the Bible. For the fallen humanity was to be restored by cross made of a tree. As a result he receives life, salvation from Jesus.  Imagine, a rich official, climbing the tree when whole village is gathered around. Suddenly things get changed and the man disliked by all becomes the center of all attraction where in a new relationship is made between him and his master. And that relationship is more authenticated when he gives back his wealth to his people.

A sinner becomes a sign of salivified man. A disliked man becomes lovable witness to the Gospel. It is all because of his true desire and his determination, out of which a new life and new relationship is born. Coming to our life, it is true that all of us have desire but do we put up with the difficulties in achieving those desires.

Our loving God is always ready to accept us as he accepted Zacchaeus. But he expects from every one of us such true desire.  For, God who created us without our concent can not save us without our consent. Imagine, in front of God we are nothing. But He wants us to be saved. Because He truly loves all that exists. That is what we heard in first reading. He gives chances for our re-establishment of relationship. It is we who willingly go away from Him. Zacchaeus has made use of the chance. What about us? As our Lord passed through Jericho, today passes us through the Eucharist. Are we ready to manifest our desire to be re-united with him?  But such re-establishment can be made true only by remaking our love for our fellow brethren. Thus we can, like Zacchaeus, become a witness to the Gospel. It is true, such thing is not an easy task, we may come across so many opposition in and around us. But are we ready like St. Paul, who in spite of all the difficulties witnessed the Gospel he preached.  For him, it was of external opposition. But in re-making our relationship we may find, so many internal opposition like pride, selfishness, arrogance and superiority complex etc. Our Lord expects each one of us to break away with all these things and come forward to create a new-world of love and peace.

Bro.A.Susai Devanaesan.