Today is the feast day of St. Zakkai, the undersized architelones (a unique word but transparently synonymous with telonarches, “chief collector of customs”) of the city of Jericho, who climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus and was summoned to be His host at dinner. Delighted rather than offended by such presumptuousness, Zakkai announced his intention to give half his wealth to the poor and to repay fourfold any taxes that he had taken unjustly. In return, Jesus says, “Today has salvation come to this house.”
This anecdote, related only by Luke (19:1-10), includes no miracles or prophecies. It does make the point that Our Lord, as part of his mission to save sinners, was willing to consort with them, but that lesson sounds as if it has been tacked on. One wonders to what extent it really fits. Zakkai seems like an eminently respectable figure. The crowd grumbles that he is a sinner, but he does not confess to sinful conduct, nor does Jesus accuse him. The almsgiving and proffered restitution proceed prima facie from Zakkai’s joy at being recognized and honored by One whom he admires intensely.
Commentators twist their pens into knots searching out reasons why this sin-and-repentance or proclamation-to-the-outcast story should be so different from others in Luke. The simple answer is the most obvious: Zakkai’s encounter with the great rabbi was one of his treasured memories, and he recounted it to Luke or Luke’s source. Luke put it into his history because it was amusing and edifying. If, as modernist critics tend to assume of the entire Gospel narrative, it was a heavily redacted “tradition” or an invention with a theological purpose, it somehow never lost its concreteness or absorbed extraneous moralization. Why not follow Ockham’s advice and posit that it really happened and that we have a record not far from the literal facts?
In those mere facts a moral does reside, one that, so far as I know, is rarely brought out in sermons. Zakkai was a wealthy and important man, presumably a dignified figure and perhaps, if he was like many short-statured people, a bit touchy about his dignity. Nonetheless, when Jesus came to Jericho and a crowd gathered to see Him, this architelones did not have his servants clear a way to the front rank. He did not exert his power to seize a place near the Lord. Instead, he humbly climbed a tree, an act that cannot be done with much dignity. He would have been sitting there, clinging to the boughs like a schoolboy at play, when suddenly Jesus turned toward him, making him conspicuous to the throng, and said, “Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.” (Luke 19:5 [Jerusalem Bible]) And the rich tax collector, heedless of appearances, unembarrassed by being made to look comical in front of his fellow citizens, clambered down from his perch, his heart overflowing with joy.
According to tradition, Zakkai followed Christ after His Resurrection and was appointed by St. Peter to lead the Christian community in Caesarea. That is not certain, however, and we know nothing about what else he did or when or how he died. He has one moment in history, when he subordinated fear of ridicule to love of the Lord and found salvation in that moment of humility.
Apolytikion – Tone 3
Having justly hated unjust riches, thou didst lay up treasures of salvation; for, receiving the Saviour within thy house, thou, O Zacchaeus, wast truly made marvelous with all the fruits of repentance thou broughtest forth: deeds of mercy, the correction of wrongs, and godly life, because of which we honour thee and call thee blest.
Kontakion – Tone 4
When He that bowed the Heavens came to save sinners, Zacchaeus, great in zeal, but little of stature, beheld the Tree of Life from in the sycamore; lifted above the earth, he saw Jesus, Who called him: coming down in lowliness, he repenting, received Him; and so salvation came into his house, and he was shown forth a true son of Abraham.
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