He came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. 2 Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 3 was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. 5 When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” 6 And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 7 When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”
Jesus’ journey towards Jerusalem led him through Jericho, one of the oldest and wealthiest cities of ancient Palestine. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, and a high-ranking official overseeing the tax collection for the Roman government. Tax collectors were despised by the Jewish people for collaborating with the Romans and extorting their fellow Jews. They were local agents of the Roman Empire who were required to send a fixed amount to Rome but were free to collect more than was legally required to cover their expenses and make a profit. This led to widespread abuse. Wealth obtained through such means added to their social alienation.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus but, since he was short and the crowd obscured his view, he climbed a sycamore tree. His childlike actions reflect humility and a strong need to see Jesus. In the culture of the time, it would have been considered undignified for a man of Zacchaeus’ status to run and climb a tree. When Jesus reached the tree, he called Zacchaeus by name and invited himself to stay at Zacchaeus’ house. It appears that it was part of the divine plan for Jesus to stay at Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus immediately came down from the tree and joyfully offered Jesus hospitality and a meal. The crowd grumbled since it was considered scandalous for a religious teacher to enter the home of a sinner and share a meal (Lk. 5:30; 15:2). According to their interpretation of the Law, the prevailing view among many religious Jews, especially the Pharisees, was that holiness (or sanctity) required separation from anything or anyone that was ritually impure (Lev. 11:44; 19:2). Jesus’ willingness to dine with Zacchaeus, represents a radical break from the conventional understanding of holiness as separation. Instead of distancing Himself from sinners to preserve His purity, Jesus intentionally seeks them out to bring them back to God.
Zacchaeus’ response that he would give half his possessions to the poor (Is. 58:7) and make restitution fourfold, which exceeds the standard requirements of the Law for voluntary restitution (Ex. 22:1-3, Lev. 6:5), indicated true repentance and conversion. Typically, the Law required a lesser repayment in cases of voluntary admission of guilt, while the fourfold restitution applied in cases of theft. Zacchaeus’ generosity here demonstrates his profound repentance. Jesus declares that Zacchaeus has been saved, underscoring that salvation is both a present reality and a future promise. Though Zacchaeus had been despised and socially marginalized, Jesus affirms that he, too, belongs to the covenant community through the phrase “descendant of Abraham.” Salvation is now accessible through Jesus to those previously considered outsiders.
Lord Jesus, just as you called Zacchaeus from the tree and entered his home, call us from the distractions of life and dwell in our hearts. May your grace transform us, so that we, too, may come to know the joy of salvation and belong fully to your family. This we pray in your name. Amen!
References
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
- McKenzie, John. Dictionary of the Bible. Collier Books, 1965.
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