The cry of the prophet Habakkuk still resonates strongly today. Why must we look at the world and see violence, destruction and injustice? Why does God not act? Why does justice often not seem to prevail? The Gospel story about Zacchaeus starts from a similar position … ‘why can tax collectors continue to rip off ordinary people and get away with it’, questions the crowd?
But when Jesus spots Zacchaeus looking down at him from a tree, Jesus sees something more than a disreputable tax collector. He sees an opportunity for transformation, for justice and for reconciliation. In the face of hospitality and grace, lives are changed. Jesus names this change as salvation, but he could also have said that peace and wholeness has come to the situation, both for Zacchaeus and for his neighbours.
The world often appears to be in a mess with justice and peace far off. The insight of Jesus is that even the most contentious issues and people can be transformed with a change of heart that leads to changed action. The message from the prophet is not to give up or give in to injustice but to be patient and work towards justice.
Download and read the whole message here: What do justice and peace look like?