Reflection

The gospel talks about grace joined with repentance. Repentance is not only solely a transaction of the heart but also it bears fruit.

Zacchaeus reflected in the gospel shows by his intended actions that he knows the law of restitution, even though he has not treated the poor as he would be treated.

We are seldom given the opportunity to restore relationships that we have broken, to restore them to their un-broken newness. Compensation is hard, in emotional terms. Taking a tongue-lashing after having disappointed someone badly is not compensation. In fact, the other is doing more to damage than to repair the relationship.

The patience that Jesus encourages us to have is key to the mending of relationships. The offended party needs to take a deep breath and try to understand why the offender did what has happened, just as the offender needs to step back for a bit to understand why the offense seemed proper at the time, only to achieve a non-desirable outcome.

“Payback is hell” is so apt! “Payback” is not the work of a Jesus-filled heart. Pain cannot be undone by giving pain in return. Nor can pain be un-given.

But pain can be for-given, if not forgotten. The memory of an acute pain is a terrible thing to hold onto. It is as if we are constantly spreading the edges of a healing cut, almost wishing that the scar would grow bigger and uglier.

That is why Jesus told us to love those that hate us. With that armor, we can hardly ever be damaged, at all, in any way that matters.

And we have the opportunity, in that love, to repair the heart of the hater. We can be true daughters and sons of Abraham, too.