November 15

Luke 19:1-10
19 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of
Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was,
but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a
sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the
spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your
house today. 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

WHO IS WORTHY?
Who is truly worthy of God's love? None of us really deserve God's abundant blessings. As a
sinful person like Zacchaeus, the tax collector, I struggle with my favorite sins. Sometimes I
tell myself that it is fine to sin; after all, I serve God faithfully. However, I realize how
unfair this is. God reaches out to me all the time, asking me to sin no more yet here I am just
making excuses.
A few weeks ago, after four years of waiting for the results of my job application abroad, I
was finally asked to have my medical examination. A friend suggested that in order to pass
the medical exam without any problems, I should consider doing it illegally. Being a
member of a Catholic community, I refused, knowing that if it was His plan for me to pass the
medical examination, I would. Through the community, I learned to trust in a God that has
forever been faithful to me, even if I am not. After decades in the community, I have learned
that my God is faithful, even if I am not.
I still struggle with sinning. It is hard not to give in to the easier route, especially when
doing what is right requires a lot of waiting. However, God made it clear through today's
Gospel that humanity is imperfect yet His grace is unlimited. We will always struggle with
sins, and many times, we will fall. Despite all these, Gods mercy abounds. God looks beyond
our sinfulness and our status in life, and loves us still.
All we need to do is to accept our faults, have the desire to change, and seek Jesus the way
Zacchaeus did when he climbed the sycamore tree. What awaits us in the end, is a God who
has been patiently waiting to come into our home.
Guide Question: Is my faith being tested? What is God encouraging me to do?