The story of Zacchaeus

1. The story of Zacchaeus Luke 19:1-10

2. Where do we find this passage? • The story of Zacchaeus is found only in the Gospel of Luke. • No other author in the Second Testament has the story of Zacchaeus, which means it must have come from an oral source known only to Luke.

3. What is the genre of this passage? • This passage is a kind of recount – it tells of something Jesus did. • However, it has been written as a narrative, so it follows a narrative structure… • and has lots of features common in narratives… • A clear plot • Defined characters • Lots of action (verbs) and detail • Dialogue • A climax

4. What truths does this story contain? • This story contains two sorts of truths. • Because it is set in a real time and place it has some literal truths. (eg Jericho is a real place; tax collectors were real people; Jesus call people to lived differently.) • Because this is a narrative it tells other truths about attitudes and values, about life, about relationships, about people and about God.

5. Terminology contained in this text • Jericho • A city just north of the dead sea, near where Jesus is thought to have been baptised. • People travelling from Galillee to Jerusalem along often came through Jericho. • Jericho was ‘watered’ by a number of springs so was very lush and fertile. • Herod had a very grand winter palace there.

6. Terminology contained in this text • Zacchaeus • (Zac – key- us) a name which means ‘pure’. It is quite uncommon in the Bible. • Chief tax agent. • Tax collectors or agents collected ‘tolls’ on behalf of the Romans. As a ‘chief’ Zacchaeus was responsible for supervising others at their work. Not paying taxes to the Romans was considered by some as a good way of showing that they were not welcome in Palestine.

7. Terminology contained in this text • Sinner. • Someone who ‘missed the mark’ and so did not live in accord with the God’s purposes for creation. These sorts of sins could be personal or social. Zacchaeus was a Jew (‘a child of Abraham’) and by collecting tax for the Romans he was thought to be collaborating with them – a social sin. • ‘Cultic sins’ offended against ritual purity laws. People who broke purity laws by handling pigs, eating the wrong food, having skin disease or not celebrating religious festivals were also sinners.

8. Terminology contained in this text • Sycamore tree (ficus sycomorus) • A tree which produced a small fruit, popular in the region. • It has low branches so is often used as a shade tree in the desert • The wood was used for furniture making

9. Terminology contained in this text • Lord • The English translation of Adonai – the word used by the Hebrew people when they read aloud יהוה (Yahweh) in the First Testament. • A title given to Jesus after his resurrection. It comes from a monarchical system: God is king, Jesus is Lord. When we find the title in the gospels we are reminded that this story was written after people knew that Jesus would rise from the dead.

10. Terminology contained in this text • ‘Salvation’ • The word used to describe a time when God’s purpose for the world would be lived by all people. People would be ‘saved’ when they acted in accord with God’s great loved for them. • ‘Child of Abraham’ • A loving, gentle way of saying that Zacchaeus is one of the chosen people. As a Jew, Zacchaeus should not be ‘ripping off’ his own people.