Call of Zacchaeus
The Call of Zacchaeus refers to an episode in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, as narrated only in the Gospel of Luke (19:1-10).
Overview
On his way from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho. The Gospel of Mark records that when Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, the Blind Bartimaeus approached them, beg for mercy and was healed by Jesus. In the Gospel of Matthew two unnamed blind men are the protagonists of the story. The Gospel of Luke relocated the narrative, involving one unnamed blind man, at the time in which Jesus "approached" Jericho. This gave room for another narrative, involving a rich tax collector named Zacchaeus. When Jesus arrived in Jericho, Zacchaeus being short in stature climbed up a sycamore fig tree so that he might have a better view. Jesus stopped by and addressing Zacchaeus by name asked for hospitality at his house. Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus and made public repentance for his sins. The narrative, which is only in the Gospel of Luke, appears a double of the story of Matthew/Levi, which is attested in all the three Synoptic Gospels at the beginning of Jesus's Ministry; see Recruiting the Tax Collector. The repetition aims to emphasize the mission of the Son of Man who "came to seek out and to save the lost," now at the end of Jesus' Ministry, just before his arrival in Jerusalem.
Nothing more is known about Zacchaeus, except in much later Christian traditions which would identify him as the apostle Matthias appointed to replace Judas Iscariot after the death of Jesus, and would make him the first Bishop of Caesarea Maritima. At Jericho the ruins of a large Crusade tower are traditionally called the House of Zacchaeus, and at least three sycamore trees are showed as the one on which Zacchaeus climbed; see Relics of Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus in ancient sources
Luke 19:1-10 (NRSV) -- [1] He entered Jericho and was passing through it. [2] A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. [3] He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. [4] So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. [5] When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." [6] So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. [7] All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." [8] Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." [9] Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."
References
- Zacchaeus / Robert F. O'Toole / In: The Anchor Bible Dictionary (1992 Freedman), dictionary, 6:1032-1033