Luke 19:10

Context

This verse concludes the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. While passing through Jericho on his way up to Jerusalem, Jesus calls to Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, who has climbed a sycamore tree, and stays at his house. The people murmur that Jesus "was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner." In response, Zacchaeus says that he will give half of his goods to the poor and that, if he has taken anything from anyone by false accusation, he will restore it fourfold. Jesus answers, "This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham" (v. 9), and then states his mission in this verse: "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Jesus refers to himself by the title Son of Man, and the saying is read as addressed both to Zacchaeus and to the murmuring crowd.

The expression "that which was lost" recalls the scene in Ezekiel 34:11-16, where the shepherd seeks his lost sheep. It also continues the theme of the Parable of the Lost Sheep, the Parable of the Lost Coin, and the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. Because the Greek expression is neuter singular (literally, the lost "thing"), it is also understood to refer not only to particular individuals but to the lost as a whole.

Interpretation

• As a summary of mission: Many commentators regard this verse as summarizing the purpose of the Gospel of Luke as a whole, and indeed of Jesus' ministry. On this reading, it stands alongside other mission statements such as "the Son of man came…" in Matthew 20:28.
• Emphasizing divine initiative: Interpreters in the Reformed tradition often focus on the word "seek," noting that although Zacchaeus sought to see Jesus, it was Jesus who first called him by name and approached him. On this basis they commonly explain that salvation originates in the sovereign grace of God.
• Emphasizing the universal call and human response: In the Wesleyan and Arminian traditions, the verse is read as expressing God's will to save all people, and the scene is explained as one in which the grace that goes before (prevenient grace) and Zacchaeus's personal response of repentance appear together.
• As restoration of community: Some scholars and socially engaged churches draw attention to the fact that Zacchaeus, a tax collector shunned by his own people, is once again called "a son of Abraham" and restores his relationships with his neighbors through restitution and generosity. On this reading, salvation is not limited to the individual soul but includes the restoration of relationships and of the whole of life.

Debates and Disputed Points

• Is Zacchaeus's statement a resolution or a defense?: The verbs in verse 8 are in the Greek present tense. Most translations and interpreters read them as a resolution about what he will do, that is, as an expression of conversion. Some scholars, however, take them as a customary present describing what he has already been doing, and read the story as one in which Jesus vindicates a misjudged Zacchaeus. Depending on which view is taken, the emphasis of "that which was lost" in verse 10 shifts between a sinner who has strayed morally and a person pushed to the margins of the community.
• Relationship to Matthew 18:11: Some manuscripts of Matthew 18:11 contain a sentence nearly identical to this verse. However, the sentence is absent from the major early manuscripts, and many scholars hold that it was carried over from Luke 19:10 in the course of copying. For this reason, some translations place Matthew 18:11 in brackets or relegate it to a footnote.
• Quotation out of context: Because the verse is short and easy to remember, it is widely used as a slogan for personal evangelism. Critics observe that such use can easily lose elements of the original context, such as restitution, generosity, and the murmuring of the community.

In the Korean Church

Together with the story of Zacchaeus, the verse is widely used as a sermon text emphasizing evangelism and missions. It is frequently cited at evangelistic events such as evangelism Sundays and Total Mobilization Sunday. The story of Zacchaeus is also a familiar text for children in Sunday school.

Related Passages

• Ezekiel 34:16
• Luke 15:4-7
• Mark 10:45
• John 3:17
• 1 Timothy 1:15