In 2007, I ran my first half marathon. The whole experience was pretty intense, as I had never run more than maybe a couple miles before starting to train for that race. But I stuck to a training program by Hal Higdon that gradually prepared me to run the full 13.1 mile race. I will never forget that first race–the crisp morning air of Ohio in October, the sounds of thousands of shoes pounding the pavement all at once, the thrill of completing something I had never dreamed I could do. It was an awesome experience.
One particular memory from that race involved using the hydration stations all along the route. During my training runs, I had never really been a fan of bringing along a water bottle. It just felt awkward to carry something bulky in my hand while trying to focus on the run. So when race day arrived, I wasn’t ready for the trick of trying to grab a little dixie cup full of water or gatorade while running. Eventually, though, I got the hang of it. Then they really threw me a curveball. At one of the hydration stations toward the middle of the race, they were handing out these runner’s gels, basically to give your body a fast absorbing source of extra energy. What I didn’t realize was how nasty those things taste.
So I grabbed one of the little gel packs and squeezed the whole thing into my mouth. I think it might have claimed to be “strawberry” flavored. Whatever it said, it was a lie. It was one of the nastiest flavors I tasted. Fortunately, I was able to gag it down without vomiting, but it was a close call. After that race, another more experienced distance runner gave me good advice on how to handle those gel packs. He suggested getting both the gel pack and a cup of water at the hydration station. Then, you fill your mouth with water first and then the gel, which you quickly swallow before the taste can break through the water. This worked well for me in future races.
Those gels are a huge help for runners trying to go the distance in a high intensity race. Over time, I have learned what things help me maintain strength in races–periodic gatorade, water, and those unpleasant gel packs if I’m feeling particularly drained. But imagine if I had just given up on the gel packs completely after that initially bad experience? It likely would have cost me a good showing in future races; maybe I wouldn’t have even finished in some of them.
Today we encounter one of my favorite figures in the New Testament: Zaccheus. He is a person of considerable wealth and not a popular person. It is probably reasonable to assume at least some of that wealth came from cheating people by overcharging them for their taxes and pocketing the difference. As we know from the case of the Apostle Matthew, tax collectors were not well liked in society. When Jesus decides to stay at Zaccheus’ house, we hear that people “began to grumble, saying, ‘He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.’”
So here is Zaccheus, with people whom he probably cheated openly grumbling about him and calling him a sinner. It would have been easy for him to just slink away through the crowd in shame and let Jesus pass by. Maybe nobody would’ve noticed, because in addition to being a sinner, he was also short in stature. But even with all of that pressure, he stands his ground and makes an incredibly bold proclamation: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.
Simply by Jesus wanting to come to his home, Zaccheus was inspired to make a bold step in faith. And that bold step was the culmination of other steps he must have taken in his heart. I can imagine the Holy Spirit was at work in him when somebody first told Zaccheus of the Rabbi Jesus, who publicly forgave people of their sins. The Holy Spirit was obviously working in his heart when he rushed out to try to see Jesus when he heard he was coming through Jericho. The Holy Spirit filled Zaccheus with the holy boldness to climb that tree. And then the Holy Spirit allowed him to make a bold act of generosity in giving his wealth away to the poor and pledging to repay those he had previously cheated. God is good!
So what lesson can we learn from Zaccheus? I would propose that we can see in him a glimpse of what it looks like to persevere with God’s grace at work in our lives. He is always with us, with His gentle and sometimes forceful guidance, offering us the ability to follow Him step by step. God is in it for the long game with each of us, just like He was with Zaccheus. Jesus says, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” He didn’t just find Zaccheus in the crowd that day, He had been working on his heart his whole life! Zaccheus took many steps in grace which led him to the dramatic moment we heard about in today’s Gospel. He was courageous and persevered. There were many moments in his life where Zaccheus could have ignored the grace at work in his heart. Like that gel pack in my half marathon, sometimes grace is going to feel unpleasant, challenging us to give up sins and ways of life keeping us from being the saint God has made us to be. I’m glad I didn’t give up on those gel packs and I hope we don’t give up on the grace of God in the race which is our life.
God is relentless and never stops giving us opportunities. As long as we have breath, there are opportunities to lean into His grace. As the Book of Wisdom says about our Father: “you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!” God is constantly working on us, because He sees how over time we can grow into the people we were made to be, people who allow His grace to work in us and through us. If we stick with Him, Jesus will strengthen us to be bold like Zaccheus, giving generously of ourselves for the sake of the Kingdom.
So let’s not miss those daily opportunities to cooperate with God’s grace. Let’s take time for prayer in our daily lives, listening for God’s voice of guidance. Let’s get to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, allowing Jesus to cleanse us of sin and fill us with grace to renew our lives. Let’s seek out those people who can build up our faith, so God can build us up through each other. Together, we can run the race of life in Christ’s strength!
+ Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for your relentless grace which never stops working in our lives. Jesus, help us to cooperate with Your grace so that we can leave behind the sin that kills us. Holy Spirit, help us to be more attentive to Your work in our hearts so that we can daily grow in faith, hope and charity. +