Difference between revisions of "Zacchaeus"

<p> (See [[Zacchai]] .) &nbsp;Luke 19:1-10. The Lord Jesus had received Bartimaeus' application on the day of His entry into Jericho. (See [[Bartimaeus]] ; [[Jericho]] . Later in His progress, when He had passed through Jericho and had healed the blind, He met Zacchaeus, chief among the publicans or tax gatherers, i.e. superintendent of customs and tribute in the district of Jericho famed for its balsam, and so rich. The Lord had shortly before encountered the rich young ruler, so loveable, yet lacking one thing, the will to part with his earthly treasure and to take the heavenly as his portion. He had said then, "how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God;" yet to show us that "the things impossible with men are possible with God" (&nbsp;Luke 18:18-27), and that riches are not an insuperable barrier against entrance into heaven, the case of the rich yet saved [[Zacchaeus]] follows. [[Holding]] his commission from his Roman principal contractor to the state (publicanus, manceps) to collect the dues imposed by Rome on the Jews, Zacchaeus had subordinate publicans under him. </p> <p> The palm groves of Jericho and its balsam gardens (now no longer existing) were so valuable that Antony gave them as a source of revenue to Cleopatra, and Herod the Great redeemed them for his benefit. Zacchaeus "sought to see Jesus who He was." Evidently, Zacchaeus had not seen Jesus in person before, but had heard of His teachings and miracles. So, his desire was not merely from curiosity; as in the case of the young ruler, desire for "eternal life" entered into his wish to see the Saviour, but unlike the rich young ruler he had no self-complacent thought, "all the commandments I have kept from my youth up"; sense of sin and need on the contrary were uppermost in his mind, as the sequel shows. </p> <p> Zacchaeus could not see Jesus "for the press, because he was little of stature"; but where there is the will there is a way; he ran before (eagerness and determination, &nbsp;Hebrews 12:1; but God's love ran first toward Zacchaeus, Luke 19; &nbsp;Luke 15:20), and climbed up into a sycamore to see Jesus as He was to pass that way. Etiquette and social rank would suggest such an act was undignified, but faith outweighs every other consideration. Jesus, on reaching the spot, singled him out among all the crowd for His regard. He looked up and saw Zaachaeus, as His eye had rested on [[Nathanael]] under the fig tree (&nbsp;John 1:48); "Zacchaeus (Zacchaeus could not but have joyfully wondered at being thus accosted by name, though a stranger before: &nbsp;John 10:3; &nbsp;Isaiah 43:1; &nbsp;Revelation 2:17; &nbsp;Revelation 3:12.), make haste, and come down, for today (&nbsp;Hebrews 4:7; &nbsp;Hebrews 3:13; &nbsp;2 Corinthians 6:2) I must (for thy salvation, verse 9 (&nbsp;Luke 19:9), &nbsp;Luke 19:5) abide at thy house" (&nbsp;John 14:23). Zaachaeus made haste (&nbsp;Psalms 119:60; contrast Felix, &nbsp;Acts 24:25, the Athenians, 17:32) and came down (so we must, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 10:4-5) and received Him joyfully (&nbsp;Revelation 3:20; &nbsp;Acts 16:34). </p> <p> What a contrast to his joy, humility, and faith was the murmuring of the self-righteous bystanders, "He is gone to be guest with a sinner," self invited, not merely as before eating with such by special invitation! (&nbsp;Luke 15:2; &nbsp;Luke 5:29-30) a further loving condescension. Zaachaeus "stood" with prompt and deliberate purpose, and said, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor (now that I know Thee as my all; not I have given, which would savour more of the self-righteous Pharisee, &nbsp;Luke 18:11; heretofore Zaachaeus often had taken wrongfully rather than given charitably; now he resolves from this moment to be a new man, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 5:17; contrast the ruler's disinclination to Christ's testing command, 'sell all that thou hast and give to the poor,' &nbsp;Luke 18:22); and if I have taken anything (i.e. whatsoever I have taken, confessing now past takings) from any man by false accusation I (now) restore him fourfold," an ingenuous confession and voluntary restitution; so the law (&nbsp;Exodus 22:1). </p> <p> True faith always works by love, and brings forth fruits meet for repentance. Zaachaeus, as his name and Jesus' subsequent declaration imply, was an Israelite. Jesus said then in respect to him, directing His words to the bystanders, "this day is salvation (embodied in Jesus, whose name means [[Jehovah]] Saviour) come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham, both by birth and by faith (&nbsp;Galatians 3:7; &nbsp;Romans 4:11-12; &nbsp;Romans 4:16). The very day of conversion may often be known (&nbsp;Philippians 1:5; &nbsp;Acts 2:41). The believer tries and often succeeds in bringing his household to Christ (&nbsp;Acts 16:34; &nbsp;Acts 10:2-33; &nbsp;Acts 10:44; &nbsp;Acts 10:48). "For the Son of man (sympathizing therefore with man, however fallen by sin) is come to seek (Zaachaeus sought Jesus, &nbsp;Luke 19:3, only because Jesus first sought Zaachaeus) and to save that which was lost." The Lord stayed all night at the house of Zaachaeus, as the Greek implies: verses 5 and 7 (meinai ... katalusai ) (&nbsp;Luke 19:5; &nbsp;Luke 19:7). A Zaachaeus lived at Jericho at this time, father of the celebrated Rabbi Jochanan ben Zachai. </p>

<p> (Ζακχαῖος, for the Heb. [[Zaccai]] [q.v.]), the name of two Jews, mentioned the one in the Apocrypha, and the other in the New Test. </p> <p> '''1.''' An officer of Judas Maccabaeus left with two others to besiege the citadel of [[Zion]] (&nbsp;2 [[Maccabees]] 10:19). Grotius, from a mistaken reference to 1 Macc. 5, 56, wishes to read καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ζαχαρίου ''.'' </p> <p> '''2.''' The name of a tax-collector near Jericho, who, being short in stature, climbed up into a sycamore tree, in order to obtain a sight of Jesus as he passed through that place. Luke only has related the incident (19, 1-10). Zacchaeus was a Jew, as may be inferred from his name and from the fact that the [[Savior]] speaks of him expressly as "a son of Abraham" (υἱὸς Ἀβραάμ )''.'' So the latter expression should be understood, and not in a spiritual sense; for it was evidently meant to assert that he was one of the chosen race, notwithstanding the prejudice of some of his countrymen that his office under the Roman government made him an. alien and outcast from the privileges of the Israelite. The term which designates this office (ἀρχιτελώνης ) is unusual, but describes him, no doubt, as the superintendent of customs or tribute in the district of Jericho, where he lived, as one having a commission from his Roman principal (manceps, publicaous) to collect the imposts levied on the [[Jews]] by the Romans, and who in the execution of that trust employed subalterns (the ordinary τελῶναι )'','' who were accountable to Dim, as he in turn was accountable to his superior, whether he resided at Rome, as was more commonly the case, or in the province itself. (See [[Publican]]). </p> <p> The office must have been a lucrative one in such a region, and it is not strange that Zacchaeus is mentioned by the evangelist as a rich man (ουτος ην πλούσιος ). Josephus states (''Ant.'' 15:4, 2) that the palm-groves of Jericho and its gardens of balsam were given as a source of revenue by Antony to Cleopatra, and, on account of their value, were afterwards redeemed by Herod the Great for his own benefit. The sycamore-tree is no longer found in that neighborhood (Robinson, Bibl. Res. 1, 559); but no one should be surprised at this, since "even the solitary relic of the palm-forest, seen as late as 1838" which existed near Jericho, has now disappeared (Stanley, [[Sinai]] and Pal. p 307). The eagerness of Zacchaeus to behold Jesus indicates a deeper interest than that of mere curiosity. He must have had some knowledge, by report at least, of the teachings of Christ, as well as of his wonder-working power, and could thus have been awakened to some just religious feeling, which would make him the more anxious to see the announcer of the good tidings, so important to men as sinners. </p> <p> The readiness of Christ to take up his abode with him, and his declaration that "salvation" had that day come to the house of his entertainer, prove sufficiently that "He who knows what is in man" perceived in him a religious susceptibility which fitted him to be the recipient of spiritual blessings. Reflection upon his conduct on the part of Zacchaeus himself appears to have revealed to him deficiencies which disturbed his conscience, and he was ready, on being instructed more fully in regard to the way of life, to engage to "restore fourfold" for the illegal exactions of which he would not venture to deny (εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα ) that he might have been guilty. At all events, he had not lived in such a manner as to overcome the prejudice which the Jews entertained against individuals of his class, and their censure fell on him as well as on Christ when they declared that the latter had not scorned to avail himself of the hospitality of "a man that was a sinner." The Savior spent the night probably (μεῖναι '','' ver. 5, and καταλῦσαι, &nbsp;1 Maccabees 5:56, are the terms used) in the house of Zacchaeus, and the next day pursued his journey to Jerusalem. He was in the caravan from Galilee, which was going up thither to keep the Passover. The entire scene is well illustrated by Oosterzee (Lange, Bibelwerk, 3, 285). </p> <p> We read in the Rabbinic writings also of a Zacchaeas who lived at Jericho at this same period, well known an his own account, and especially as the father of the celebrated rabbi Jochanan ben-Zachai (see Sepp, Leben Jesu, 3, 166). This person may have been related to the Zacchaeus named in the sacred narrative. The family of the Zacchaei was an ancient one, as well as very numerous. They are mentioned in the books of Ezra (&nbsp;Ezra 2:9) and Nehemiah (&nbsp;Nehemiah 7:14) as among those who returned from the [[Babylonian]] captivity under Zerubbabel, when their number amounted to seven hundred and sixty. For the modern traditions respecting Zacchaeus's house, see Robinson (''Bibl. Res.'' 2, 543). According to ecclesiastical tradition, Zacchaeus eventually became bishop of [[Caesarea]] in [[Palestine]] (''Const. Nat. Apost.'' 7:46; comp. Clement, ''Recogn.'' 3, 65 sq.). See Sturemberg, ''Zacchaeus Illustratus,'' in the ''Symbol. Duisb.;'' Kresse, ''De Sycamoro Zacchcei'' (Lips. 1694); Crossman, ''Hist. Of Zacchaeus'' (Lond. 1854); and the literature referred to by Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. col. 1031, 1032. (See [[Jesus Christ]]). </p>