Daily Gospel Reflection for November 20, 2018

Today's Gospel: Luke 19:1-10 When I first moved to South Bend, a kind and generous family invited me to live with them. I was getting married in a few months and needed something temporary; they made room for me in their home and in their family. One of the best parts of my time with them was being present for their family prayers each night. They often read Scripture and then talked about it, kids and parents together. The youngest, Katie, was in middle school; when it was her turn to choose the Scripture, she often went right to today’s Gospel passage. It’s a familiar story, one we’ve heard since childhood. But sometimes, those very familiar Bible stories are challenging because we think we “know” them, so we don’t pay close enough attention to them as adults. This was true for me with the story of Zacchaeus. I thought I knew the whole story, or at least the most important parts: Zacchaeus was a short man who wanted to see Jesus, so he found a way. Katie’s favorite part of the story, though, was the very last line: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” For her, the story was less about what Zacchaeus was doing, and more about what Jesus was doing. He came. He seeks. He saves. That’s the crux of today’s Gospel. Zacchaeus went out to seek Jesus, but because Jesus sought him first. Of course we must be like Zacchaeus and do what we can to keep our sight on the Savior; of course we need to pursue Him in spite of obstacles; of course we need to welcome Him into our homes and lives. But today, rest in the truth that Jesus sought you first.