Zacchaeus, also spelled as Zacheus, is a biblical figure mentioned in the New Testament. He was a tax collector in Jericho and is most famous for the story of his encounter with Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 19:1-10).
In the story:
- Zacchaeus was a wealthy man, but as a tax collector, he was considered a sinner by his fellow Jews because tax collectors were often corrupt and collaborated with the Roman authorities.
- When Jesus passed through Jericho, Zacchaeus wanted to see him, but being short in stature, he couldn’t see over the crowd.
- To get a better view, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree.
- Jesus noticed him and called out, inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house, which shocked the crowd because tax collectors were despised.
- Moved by Jesus’ kindness and acceptance, Zacchaeus repented and pledged to give half of his wealth to the poor and repay anyone he had defrauded fourfold.
- Jesus responded by declaring that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ house and that Zacchaeus, too, was a “son of Abraham.”
The story of Zacchaeus highlights themes of repentance, redemption, and the transformative power of encountering Jesus.