Listening to today's Gospel about Zacchaeus got me thinking. Zacchaeus was known as a sinner - he was a tax collector, and in that capacity had probably cheated people (I seem to remember reading somewhere that that was more or less how Roman tax collector's made their money - whatever extra they could collect, they got to keep - but I'm not an expert and I may be wrong). But Zacchaeus was interested in seeing Jesus. Did he know that he was living his life in the wrong way and was looking for a chance to change, or did he just go out to see because he was curious?
It doesn't really matter. He went. He climbed the tree. And Jesus called to him. Jesus called to him and Zacchaeus went. And once we went he immediately repented of all he had done wrong and promised to be better.
He repented after he was greeted by Jesus.
Jesus met the sinner with love and the sinner gave up his sinful ways. Jesus did not wait for the sinner to stop sinning and repent before he called to him. He called to the sinner and greeted him with love.
Do we do the same?
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