“the half of my goods I give to the poor” [Luke 19:8]

“the half of my goods I give to the poor”. Zacchaeus had obviously heard about Jesus but he had not had a personal encounter. He wanted to see Jesus and did so from the branches of the tree he climbed. Now Jesus was going to his house: it was to be life-changing. Once in the home Zacchaeus promised to make a massive deposit of half his goods in the bank of heaven. There are many ways of helping the poor – not just giving them goods. Showing love and compassion, extending a listening ear and a helping hand are two more.
Yet note that Zacchaeus made this announcement to Jesus. It was his love response to Jesus. We all do well to examine our response today. It will take on many forms and in some cases it will call for a restoration of our first love.