Jesus is described as the Good Shepherd. Like a good shepherd, he does not desire for any of his sheep to be lost. This desire to gather the lost sheep of Israel, and ultimately the entire world, back to God was at the heart of his mission. That means he is always searching for the sheep that are lost, trying to find them, and when he finds them he transforms them, changing their lives forever. The story of Zacchaeus embodies this. As we read the words of this Gospel let us ask for the grace to be like Zacchaeus so that we too may be found and be changed.
Jesus and Zacchaeus
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19 : 1-10
Scriptural Analysis
The encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus in Jericho is unique to Luke’s Gospel. Jericho is located near the border between Roman-controlled Judea and Perea and it was on an east-west trade route. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector which meant he oversaw the collection of tolls and duties on transported goods. His collaboration with the Romans, necessary for his occupation, made him a sinner in the eyes of the people. The repentance of a tax collector was recently presented in Luke 18. Zacchaeus’s position also made him wealthy thus we also have Jesus’s warning to the rich (Luke 18:25) coming into play. The story of Zacchaeus crosses these two storylines.
The first problem Zacchaeus must overcome is his short stature. With the crowd, he could not see over them to see Jesus. Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree so that he could see him. This gesture is far more important than perhaps we believe it to be. Zacchaeus was a man of prominence but he was not afraid to humiliate himself in order to see Jesus. Thus, Zacchaeus had a humble disposition.
Jesus stops for Zacchaeus, calling him by name and telling him to come down from the tree. This was no chance encounter but rather out of God’s divine plan. Jesus must visit Zacchaeus’s home and he must do it today. Such a request can only be responded to in haste. Recall how Abraham greeted his visitors with haste, “When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them.” (Genesis 18:2) Jesus will later describe Zacchaeus as a descendent of Abraham and Zacchaeus imitates the Patriarch’s response, and hospitality.
There is another comparison to the Old Testament as well. Rehab, the prostitute, received the messengers sent by the prophet Joshua, also in Jericho, “And Joshua the son of Nun sent two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.” (Joshua 2:1) Jesus goes to stay with Zacchaeus in his house. The crowd grumbled at Jesus recalling the same reaction Jesus received earlier from the Pharisees when he dealt with tax Collectors (5:30, 15:2). This should also draw a comparison with the wilderness generation of Israel who grumbled against God and Moses.
Addressing Jesus as Lord, Zacchaeus resolves to change his life. From his possessions, he will give to the poor, and whatever he has left he will repay people four times what he defrauded from them when originally collecting their taxes. This is well above what the law required when making such ammends, “he shall confess his sin which he has committed; and he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it, and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong.” Numbers 5:7. This is evidence of the fruits of repentance. Zacchaeus has been completely transformed.
The final words of Jesus, addressed to Zacchaeus, tell Zacchaeus and us what was on the line, salvation. Zacchaeus was lost but now he has been found. Meeting Jesus, the savior, was a turning point in his life just as it was for another tax collector, Levi. Zacchaeus thought he was seeking Jesus but in reality, it was Jesus who was seeking him, this corrupt son of Abraham.
Daily Application
The encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus is an important one for us to spend time considering. There are two main points to ponder. First, although Zacchaeus thought he was the one trying to find Jesus in reality, Jesus was seeking him out. That is how Jesus works. He constantly works to gather the lost and bring them back to the father. We often like to think that we are the ones who need to find Jesus or we need to help others find Jesus. In reality, Jesus is the one who will find us. Our task is to allow and to help others allow Christ to find us.
Second, after their encounter, it was Zacchaeus who was changed not Jesus. An authentic encounter with Jesus results in change, change in the one who encountered Christ. There are many contemporary Christian teachers who focus on the fact that Jesus associated with sinners and tax collectors. They attempt to use this as a way to approve of certain sinful behaviors: Jesus hung out with these people so my behavior must be OK. Jesus associated with and accompanied these people precisely because he knew what they were doing was not OK, he knew they were sinners. They needed his mercy. They needed a savior. At some point in their encounter, the person was offered a chance for repentance, a chance to leave behind their sinful behavior and change.
Jesus is called the Good Shepherd because he came to gather the lost sheep of Israel. While that is true, like all analogies there is one aspect that is not. When a shepherd finds a lost sheep regardless of the sheep’s attitude, the shepherd can carry that sheep back to the flock. It does not work that way with people. We have to be open to the shepherd: open to being found by Jesus and being led back to the flock.
The ability to be found and be changed by Christ requires the individual to have a humble and open heart. Zacchaeus had such a heart. That is why Jesus was able to find him and why their encounter had such a profound impact on Zacchaeus. When our heart is closed and we are filled with pride, Jesus cannot penetrate us, he is unable to transform us. That is why a major life event, such as cancer, often leads to conversion. In the midst of that illness, one realizes they are not in control: they are humbled and their heart opens.
Be found and be changed. That seems so simple and yet there are so many who are still lost, still stuck in the ways of this world. Let us ask God to give us the grace to see those people: to help them humble themselves and open their hearts. Then the Good Shepherd, the one who is always calling back his lost sheep, can find them and transform them.
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