The Bible Book

242

T

hroughout the Gospels,

Jesus is the obvious

protagonist. However,

in the Gospel of Luke, there are

several other figures who become

unexpected heroes: notably those

who were previously considered

“unclean,” sinners, or otherwise

socially unacceptable.

Luke 19 describes one such

outcast by the name of Zacchaeus.

He is a chief tax collector in Jericho,

viewed by many in the Judean

community as a traitorous enemy,

seizing money from his own people

to fill the Roman coffers. Zacchaeus

is also a rich tax collector, which

suggests to the people of Jericho

that he extorts additional funds

for personal gain. They therefore

deem him a sinner.

A second chance

Zacchaeus makes up for in riches

what he lacks in stature—he is

so short that he cannot see Jesus

above the crowds when He comes

into town. Consequently, Zacchaeus

climbs a sycamore-fig tree to get

a better view. Of all the people

assembled, Jesus notices Zacchaeus.

He calls to him by name, beckons

him down from the tree, and

proclaims “I must stay at your

house today” (Luke 19:5).

While the people of Jericho

complain that Jesus has chosen to

be the guest of a sinner, Zacchaeus

eagerly welcomes Jesus into his

home. Zacchaeus then says he

will give half of his possessions to

the poor, and that, if he has ever

cheated anyone, he will pay them

back fourfold. His newfound

generosity toward the poor is

FOR THE SON OF MAN

CAME TO SEEK AND

TO SAVE THE LOST

LUKE 19:10, JESUS EMBRACES A TAX COLLECTOR

Jesus spies Zacchaeus (in red)

watching from a sycamore tree as

He enters the city of Jericho in this

1908 illustration by English artist

William Brassey Hole.

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Luke 19:1–10

THEME

God’s kingdom is for all

SETTING

c. 27–29 ce Jericho.

KEY FIGURES

Jesus The Messiah and

Son of God at the height

of His ministry.

Zacchaeus A rich tax

collector, whose salvation

is proclaimed by Jesus after

he gives up half of his riches

to the poor and defrauded.

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243

evidence of his salvation—as Jesus

says, “the Son of Man came to seek

and to save the lost” (19:10).

Unlikely redemption

Zacchaeus’s story is particularly

noteworthy because of another tale

that precedes it. In Luke 18, a rich

ruler queries Jesus about what he

must do to gain eternal life. Despite

the man’s adherence to Jewish

teachings, he does not meet the

final criteria that Jesus requires—

that he give the proceeds from the

sale of his belongings to the poor

and follow Him. Jesus tells him

that it is extremely difficult for the

wealthy to enter the kingdom of

God: it is harder for a camel to go

through the eye of a needle than for

a rich person to enter the kingdom.

However, Zacchaeus’s example

shows it is not impossible: he

gives up more than half of his

total wealth because he has been

made righteous by Jesus. This turn

of events exemplifies the power of

Jesus’s ministry: He transforms the

sinner, loves the rejected, and saves

the lost—showing that no one is

ever fully “lost.” ■

See also: The Temple Tax 222 ■ Workers in the Vineyard 223 ■ Cleansing the Temple 244–45 ■

Faith and Works 312–13 ■ Holiness 314 –15

THE GOSPELS

The Pharisee pridefully

thanks God that he is not

“like this tax collector”

(Luke 18:11).

Jesus says “I tell you that [the tax collector], rather than

the other, went home justified before God” (18:14).

The Pharisee and the tax collector go to the Temple to pray.

Those who exalt themselves will

be humbled, and those who humble

themselves will be exalted.

The tax collector humbly

says “God, have mercy on

me, a sinner” (18:13).

The Pharisee and the tax collector

Roman taxation

The Roman Empire, like all

empires, levied taxes so it could

grow and thrive—its subsumed

nations bore the financial weight

of Rome’s imperialism. Judeans

who lived in Palestine had a

particular distaste for new

Roman taxes, because they

already paid local and religious

taxes. While Roman taxes

brought roads, aqueducts, and

other societal needs to the area,

political and religious tensions

still rose. Some Jewish factions

resisted Roman occupation and

taxation, which led to revolts

and subsequent military

interventions. Eventually, in

70 ce, the Romans invaded

Jerusalem and destroyed

the Temple, resulting in the

displacement of many Jews into

other parts of the empire. These

events would resonate with

readers of New Testament stories

of Jesus’s interactions with tax

collectors (Luke 19) and others

who question Him about His

opinions on the empire and its

compulsory tributes (Luke 20).

This 2nd century ce relief from

a Roman mausoleum depicts a tax

collector making an entry in a ledger.

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