Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s readings we hear hard words about being lukewarm. Revelation tells us that it is better to be either too hot or too cold than to be lukewarm. So what is being lukewarm? It is saying, “I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,” seemingly believing in God but rejecting the fact that we need His grace. The truth is, we cannot do anything without the help of God. And when we are in a state where we believe we don’t need help, God can’t help us because we are being obstinate toward His love for us.
We often hear the saying, “better be safe than sorry,” or “truth is found in the middle.” But these sayings do not apply here. God doesn’t want us just sitting on the sidelines, He wants us in the game, searching for Him. And if that means searching in the wrong places for Him, then at least we are still searching. He says, “seek and you will find.” God tolerates seeking; He does not tolerate doing nothing.
The Gospel ties in with this nicely: Zacchaeus is a tax collector. But he is not merely a tax collector; the Gospel tells us that he is a chief tax collector. To the Jews, he would be a chief sinner. However, even though he was a great sinner, he was searching for God. But Zacchaeus wasn’t the only one who was searching, Jesus was searching for him. Once Jesus found him, Zacchaeus had a life-changing encounter. We can’t let the fears of searching in the wrong places stop us from seeking Christ. We are all sinners, so we will all make mistakes. Let us keep seeking, and let Christ do the finding.
Reflection by Eli, seminarian
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections