I sometimes feel like Zacchaeus when it comes to the strength of my own faith. How can I compare to the great saints and holy people within my own family, let alone throughout time? Aren't there things in my life that bar Jesus from ever accepting me? Meanwhile, there are many people who--intentionally or not--stand between me and Jesus. In most cases, I do not think that it is out of malevolence, but they unintentionally block my path in their own desire to see Jesus. Like Zacchaeus, it is important for me to establish my own connection with Jesus, perhaps taking a different path than others--not letting others stand in my way, but also not pushing them out of the way to get there.
What's so great about this story is that Jesus knew Zacchaeus by sight and called to him by his name. When we seek out Jesus, we also find that He is right there, calling us by name and ready to enter into our lives. This is true no matter how unworthy we might believe ourselves to be. Today's first reading from the Book of Wisdom says that for God "the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew..." but that He "love[s] all things that are and loathe[s] nothing that [He has] made... ." He loves us despite our apparent insignificance because He made us. The only things keeping us from Him is our own selves and the barriers which we choose to believe are there.