2 Maccabees 6:18-31 / Luke 19:1-10
As we grow with age, we also will have more life experiences.
And from the experiences of life, we also gain some wisdom about life.
But it is when we learn from our experiences of life that we may also become wiser.
in the 1st reading, the 90-year-old Eleazar found himself in a difficult situation.
As a teacher of the law, he was made to eat something forbidden, so that the rest of the people will give in since Eleazar had done so.
Eleazar could have followed the suggestion of pretending to eat the forbidden food so as to save his life.
But his years of life experiences has taught him that honour and integrity cannot be traded away easily for some temporary gain.
So he rather die with honour than live on with shame.
He lost his life, but he gained the respect of the people.
In the gospel, the moment of reckoning for Zacchaeus came when Jesus looked up and called him down because He wants to stay at his house.
All his years of life’s experiences had made Zacchaeus wise enough to embrace salvation.
May we too continue to reflect on life’s experiences in our prayer.
May we see in those experiences the hand of Jesus leading us in wisdom and salvation.