Are We on the Right Path?

We are all children of God and followers of Jesus. Yet sometimes, our actions are less than Christian. Whether at work, school, or in the community, there are times when we compromise our Christian beliefs. We may have an employer who harasses a co-worker, yet we turn a blind eye to keep our own job. We may know a classmate who cheats, but we say nothing in order to preserve our friendship. Or maybe we don’t speak up when undercharged at the store because we think the retailer overcharges for the merchandise anyway. We hush that little voice within that wants us to act differently.

In today’s gospel, we meet Zacchaeus. He is not just a tax collector, he is the chief tax collector. So it is very likely that much of Zacchaeus’ wealth was acquired from less-than-honest activities. Then he hears about Jesus. The encounter with Jesus changes his life. Zacchaeus repents of his unscrupulous ways and makes reparations to those whom he has cheated. He is no the new path, the path to salvation.

So when we find ourselves in a situation and we feel some niggling inside, it just might be Jesus inviting us to change our path. We must be true to our Christian values and stand up for our beliefs. It may cost us a job or our friendship, but that pales in comparison to losing our salvation. Zacchaeus made some huge changes to get on the right path. Do you we need to do the same?