Coming Down from Hiding Places
Catholic Homily for November 18, 2025
Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
Luke 19:1–10
Zacchaeus had a problem. He was short – too short to see over the crowd that had gathered to watch Jesus pass through Jericho. But he also had another problem that was much bigger: everyone in town hated him.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and not just any tax collector – he was the chief tax collector. This meant he worked for the Roman government, collecting taxes from his own Jewish people. Tax collectors were seen as traitors who got rich by cheating their neighbors and collaborating with the enemy occupying force.
But Zacchaeus had heard about Jesus, and something inside him was desperately curious. He wanted to see who this teacher was that everyone was talking about. So he did something that must have looked ridiculous for a wealthy, important man – he climbed up into a sycamore tree like a child.
Picture it: a grown man in expensive clothes scrambling up a tree, probably tearing his robes, just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. The crowd below probably laughed and pointed. But Zacchaeus didn’t care. His desire to see Jesus was stronger than his pride.
The God Who Sees Us First
What happened next changed everything. Jesus walked up to the tree, looked up, and called Zacchaeus by name. Think about that – Jesus knew his name. In a crowd of hundreds of people, Jesus picked him out specifically.
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
Jesus didn’t wait for an invitation. He invited himself. He didn’t ask Zacchaeus to clean up his life first, or to prove he was worthy, or to apologize for his past. Jesus simply said, “I’m coming to your house today.”
This teaches us something amazing about how God works. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but Jesus had already seen Zacchaeus. We think we’re seeking God, but really, God is seeking us. We climb trees trying to get a glimpse of Him, while He’s already calling us by name.
When Grace Meets Grumbling
The crowd was not happy about Jesus’ choice. They grumbled and complained: “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” They couldn’t understand why Jesus would associate with someone like Zacchaeus. In their minds, righteous people shouldn’t eat with tax collectors and cheaters.
But while the crowd grumbled, grace moved. Jesus didn’t let their disapproval stop Him from reaching out to someone who needed Him. This is always how grace works – it goes where it’s needed most, not where it’s most welcomed by others.
Sometimes we worry about what others will think if we really change our lives, if we start taking faith seriously, or if we associate with people others look down on. Zacchaeus could have stayed in the tree, worried about what people would say if he actually invited Jesus to his house. But he came down anyway.
Hospitality That Changes Everything
What happened at Zacchaeus’ house that day? The Bible doesn’t give us all the details, but we know the result was dramatic. Simply by welcoming Jesus into his home, Zacchaeus was completely transformed.
By the end of the meal, Zacchaeus stood up and made an incredible declaration: “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”
This wasn’t Jesus twisting his arm or demanding these changes. This was Zacchaeus responding to the love and acceptance he had experienced. When someone truly encounters Jesus – when they feel genuinely loved and forgiven – it creates a desire to make things right.
Notice that Zacchaeus’ repentance became concrete. He didn’t just say he was sorry. He didn’t just promise to be better. He put specific numbers on his commitment: half his wealth to the poor, four times repayment for anyone he had cheated. Repentance became visible in his actions.
Two Movements of Real Conversion
Zacchaeus shows us what true conversion looks like. There are two movements that always happen when someone genuinely encounters Jesus:
Welcome Jesus in – Zacchaeus opened his door and his heart to Jesus. He didn’t wait until he felt ready or worthy. He didn’t try to clean up his life first. He simply said yes to Jesus’ request to come to his house.
Set things right out – Once Jesus was in his heart, Zacchaeus couldn’t help but want to fix the damage he had done. He wanted to make amends to people he had wronged and share his wealth with people in need.
These two movements always go together. We can’t truly welcome Jesus without wanting to make our relationships right. And we can’t genuinely help others without first receiving God’s mercy ourselves. Mercy received becomes mercy given.
Our Own Trees
We all have our own versions of Zacchaeus’ tree – places we hide, habits we use to avoid a real encounter with Jesus, or shame that keeps us at a distance.
Maybe your tree is busyness – you stay so busy with work, activities, and distractions that you never have time for real prayer or reflection. Maybe it’s cynicism – you protect yourself from God’s call by being skeptical about faith and church. Maybe it’s addiction – you climb into bottles or screens or substances to avoid dealing with your real needs.
Or maybe your tree is respectability – you hide behind being a “good person” who follows rules and doesn’t cause trouble, but you never really open your heart to Jesus in a personal way. Maybe it’s shame – you think you’ve done too many bad things for God to really want a relationship with you.
Jesus sees you in whatever tree you’re hiding in, and He’s calling you by name: “Come down. I want to come to your house today.”
Three Steps on Zacchaeus’ Road
Come down – Name one tree you use to avoid Jesus and step toward Him in prayer or confession. Be honest with yourself about what you use to keep Jesus at arm’s length. Is it fear? Pride? Hurt from the past? Addiction? Whatever it is, name it and ask Jesus to help you climb down from it. Take one concrete step toward Him – go to confession, start praying regularly, or simply say out loud, “Jesus, I want You in my life.”
Set right – Identify one person or one debt you can repair and do it promptly. Like Zacchaeus, make your repentance concrete. Is there someone you need to apologize to? Someone you owe money to? A relationship you’ve damaged through selfishness or anger? A responsibility you’ve been avoiding? Pick one specific thing and do something about it this week.
Share joy – Give a generous gift to someone in need as a sign that Christ is Lord in your house. Zacchaeus gave half his possessions to the poor. You don’t have to give half of everything you own, but give something that actually costs you something. The point isn’t the amount – it’s the heart. Give in a way that shows your priorities have changed because Jesus is now in charge.
Salvation Comes Home
Jesus’ final words about Zacchaeus are beautiful: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Salvation will come to this house if Zacchaeus keeps his promises.” He said salvation had already come. The moment Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus, everything changed. His generous response wasn’t the cause of his salvation – it was the result of it.
This is the good news: Jesus doesn’t wait for us to clean up our lives before He comes to us. He comes to us in our mess, in our shame, in our confusion. He calls us by name when we’re hiding in trees. He invites himself to our house before we’re ready for company.
But when He comes, He doesn’t leave things the way they were. His presence transforms everything. Like Zacchaeus, we find that we can’t encounter real love without wanting to share it, can’t receive real forgiveness without wanting to make things right, can’t experience real joy without wanting to celebrate by blessing others.
The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Let Him find you today, wherever you’re hiding. Come down from your tree. Open your door. Let your home become His place of joy.
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, like Zacchaeus, we sometimes hide from You in trees of our own making. Help us come down from our pride, our shame, our fear, and our distractions. Thank You for calling us by name and wanting to come to our house even when we don’t feel ready. Give us the courage to welcome You in and the grace to set things right with others. Transform our hearts so that receiving Your mercy leads to sharing Your love. Make our homes places of joy where Your salvation is visible to everyone who enters. Amen.
❤️ Thank You dear friend, hope this reflections touched you. 🙏 Please do not forget to share with your loved ones this november 18 homily.
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