Bless the Lord, for He is merciful and good to all; He raises up those who are bowed down (Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14). God’s gentle and loving compassion seeks out the lost and makes them welcome and gives them joy (Luke 19:1-10).
The Lord is gracious and merciful
Psalm 145, used in six Sunday Eucharistic celebrations in the cycle, is a hymn of praise of the greatness of God. Opening with an acclamation acknowledging the name of God as revealed to Moses at the reestablishment of God’s covenant with the chosen people (Exodus 34:6), the psalmist commits himself to extol and bless and praise God every day and forever and ever. The reasons given are the manifest characteristics of God, not only in His covenant dealing with Israel, but comprehensively in all His works regarding all of creation and all nations: God is gracious (hannum), compassionate
and merciful (rahum), loving and kind (hesed).
That is why all of God’s works should give Him thanks, and all His faithful ones bound to Him in covenant are summoned to bless and honor Him in awe. God is here portrayed like a monarch ruling over a kingdom, all-encompassing and eternal, whose glory (kabod) is of such magnitude and splendor it is the talk of everyone. And His covenanted faithful ones are called to proclaim to all humankind the glory of God’s rule so that all may participate in it. The final lines extol God’s faithfulness and holiness in all His works, and focus on the divine mercy and care, especially for the weak and the needy, those who are burdened in this world and who on their own are falling.
To all who are open to grace
A man of obvious disrepute and a big sinner in the public eye, Zacchaeus displays certain good qualities. His interest to see Jesus overrides any shame and embarrassment in climbing a tree. His openness to grace bears fruit in his immediate response of hospitality to Jesus who is so suddenly personally available and calling him. He accepts that he is a sinner, and the sincerity of his conversion is demonstrated by his generous restitution, not merely the return of the amount extorted plus the required 20 percent, but fourfold of whatever he may owe anyone. His care for the poor is now concretized by his donation of 50 percent of
his possessions.
Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. Now Jesus takes the initiative and seeks him. Jesus singles the man out from the crowd and calls him. He invites himself to his house; he even expresses the urgency of his mission to enter his house and his life. Jesus must come to Zacchaeus so that today God’s saving love for His people may be extended to him. Hurrying down as commanded, Zacchaeus happily welcomes Jesus into his life. Accepting the man’s hospitality, Jesus eats at his table and shares his life. To his critics, Jesus insists that only those who are admittedly lost can be found, just as only those who see that they are perishing can be saved. Implied is that the self-righteous people miss opportunities for their own salvation.
Alálaong bagá, inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ home, Jesus becomes the host and shares His life with the man. Jesus’ unrestricted love and offer of friendship moves the man to repentance and radically transforms him. Entering into the sinner’s home, Jesus gives him entrance into God’s kingdom and participation in the community of God’s children. The gentle compassion and presence of Jesus is a catalyst of conversion, bringing reconciliation and healing to one who is bowed down in sin. With the psalmist, we thank God and bless His holy name because of His gracious mercy in seeking and saving what was lost.
Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, 5 to 6 a.m. on dwIZ 882, or by audio-streaming on www.dwiz882.com.