Our Lord then addresses Zaccheus with these words: “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.” (19:9) The repentance of the sinner and his conversion or change of heart is his salvation. The Lord then holds up Zaccheus as an example of what a true or sincere son of Abraham is to be.

The Lord then addresses words on his own defense and as a correction to the judgmental attitude of the others who objected to his visit: For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” (19:10)

May we have the ardent and persistent desire to encounter the Lord. And when an obstacle comes our way, may we have the ingenuity of Zaccheus. And when others are overly judgmental and question our honesty and sincerity, may we have the fortitude, the courage to stand our ground, to even stand out from the crowd. May we seek more to please the Lord God than to seek merely the favor of men. Let’s remember, the God Who knows and sees all will not let such go unnoticed and will be remembered on the day of Just Judgment at the Lord’s Second and Glorious Coming.

Fr George Worshchak
Archeparchy of Philadelphia