Zacchaeus(zaccheus)
“Pure or innocent”
Summary
A chief tax collector in Jericho who climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus and experienced a transformative encounter that led to his repentance and salvation.
☩Position and Problem
Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector (architelones) in Jericho, a position that made him wealthy but despised. As a supervisor of other tax collectors in this prosperous trading city, he would have profited from the lucrative customs revenue on goods passing through. Being short in stature, he could not see over the crowd gathered to see Jesus, so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree along Jesus' route.
☩The Transformative Encounter
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and called Zacchaeus by name, telling him to come down immediately because he must stay at his house that day. The crowd murmured that Jesus was going to be the guest of a notorious sinner. But Zacchaeus stood and declared his intention to give half his possessions to the poor and restore fourfold anything he had taken by false accusation—exceeding the legal requirement for restitution.
☩Salvation Declared
Jesus responded by declaring that salvation had come to that house, affirming that Zacchaeus too was a son of Abraham. This designation confirmed his restoration to the covenant community from which his occupation had effectively excluded him. Jesus summarized the purpose of his entire ministry: 'For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Zacchaeus," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Zacchaeus," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).