My Sisters and Brothers:
Today’s first reading proclaims “the Lord . . . has mercy on all . . . and he loves all things that are, and loathes nothing he has made . . . he spares all things, because they are his; the Lord is the lover of souls” (cf. Wisdom 11:22-12:2). The merciful actions and words of Jesus always promoted this kind of Old Testament wisdom. And this is clearly demonstrated in today’s Gospel, when “to save what was lost” Jesus lovingly encountered and showed great mercy to Zacchaeus the tax collector and “sinner” (see Luke 19:1-10).
A reflection on these Scriptures may compel us to think about those who’ve been estranged from us. And so with this in mind, I’d suggest we consider two different categories of such people.
The first types would be those who’ve caused us any kind of great harm and/or emotional pain; this might include those who’ve abused their power over us, who probably were very “toxic” in our lives, and whom we’ve wisely decided to keep at a prudent distance (the case of a recovering battered spouse comes to my mind). I don’t believe the Scriptures would anywhere suggest we “forgive and forget” such “toxic” people and their behaviors (perhaps we could “forgive, and remember” but that’s the subject of another essay!).
The second types of estranged people we might consider are those who’ve posed no real danger and/or harm to us at all, but whom we’ve disdained only because they’ve been “different”; this might include those we’ve harshly judged because of their dissimilar lifestyles, their differing political, social or religious views, their unique ethnic and cultural identities, their stated sexual preferences, and/or because of anything else perceived as obstacles between “us” and “them.” Let’s be honest: If we’ve decided to shut out such people from our personal and communal lives, isn’t it also true we’ve treated them as insignificant, unimportant, and not worthy of our attention? Isn’t it true we’ve probably assumed God would do the same with them as well?
In contrast to such attitudes we might have about these “second types of estranged people,” I think today’s Scriptures specifically challenge us never to distance ourselves from them. And even more, they admonish us always to respect and to hope for good fellowship with them, and when this happens, great experiences of reconciliation and unity may replace otherwise estranged relationships. By his example, I believe Jesus clearly desires us to be “Godly” in the way we lovingly encounter and show mercy to others, especially those who are “different.”
Everyone believed the tax collector Zacchaeus was a terrible “sinner,” and not worthy of Jesus’ attention. Everyone expected Jesus to ignore and to reject him. After all, because of who he was, people thought Zacchaeus couldn’t possibly be loved or accepted by God. But they were wrong. Jesus not only wanted to talk to him, he also wanted to visit his house and to stay with him; he wanted Zacchaeus to be reconciled to the community. As he proclaimed his mission to search out, and to save those who were “lost,”
Jesus affirmed Zacchaeus as a child of God. By this, he clearly demonstrated his desire to associate with those otherwise thought to be insignificant, unimportant, and not worthy of the attention of so-called “good-and-holy religious people.” He invites us to do exactly the same.
“The Lord . . . has mercy on all . . . and he loves all things that are, and loathes nothing he has made . . . he spares all things, because they are his; the Lord is the lover of souls.” And so, how do we personally and communally react to those who are “different?” Do we exclude “non-toxic” people from our lives? Do we disdain and marginalize those who, because of who they are, have become easy targets of our harsh judgments? Or like Jesus, are we willing to reach out with kindness, love, and even mercy toward such people?
My friends, let’s choose to be instruments of God’s presence in this world, and do just that!
Praise God! Friar Timothy
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