Simply Throw Open Your Arms - 31st Sunday OT - C

Simply Throw Open Your Arms 

31^st Sunday OT- C

We should look at our faith with simplicity. I think the story of Zacchaeus is a good one to bring to simple terms. It becomes simple if you know the name Zacchaeus comes from the word that means “clean, pure, and innocent.” So look at the story again:

There was clean, pure, and innocent man in Jericho, who happened to be the chief tax collector and a wealthy man, and he was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.

Jesus looked up and said, “Clean, pure and innocent man come down quickly, I must stay at your house.”

And he came down quickly and received him with joy.

The crowd grumbled, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”

The clean, pure and innocent man stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.”

And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house….For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.

No one told Jesus who Zacchaeus was. There was no formal introduction. Jesus saw him and knew him as Zacchaeus, the clean, pure, and innocent man. He didn’t see a tax collector or a sinner; but, instead he saw the person God created and said was good. Jesus said I must come to your house. This was an act of love.

The clean, pure and innocent man received him with joy. In my mind’s eye, I see Zacchaeus throwing open his arms wide and welcoming Jesus into his life. You spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD. I see tears of joy brought by the love and forgiveness Jesus brings to Zacchaeus.

Be like Zacchaeus and seek Jesus. We have to rise above the world around us. Remember that God forgives us. This overcomes everything that is keeping us from God. Throw open your arms and receive Jesus with joy.

People find this hard. People see only sinners. In our simplicity too many think that if God is so great then we don’t matter. To God the whole universe is nothing more than a grain of sand or a drop of morning dew.

Simply, God is so great and so good that we do matter. He has mercy on all, because God can do all things; even overlook people's sins that they may repent.

Simply, as the Catechism teaches: God …, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength.  (CCC 1) The clean, pure and innocent person is seeking to see who Jesus was.

Simply, through baptism, we are born again as clean, pure and innocent children of God so that our God may make us worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you and you in him.

Simply throw open your arms and receive him with joy.

Y’all be good, y’all be holy and preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen.