Luke 19:8–9

Context

Luke 19:1–10 recounts how Jesus, passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, met Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector. A chief tax collector was the head of a group of tax collectors, and Zacchaeus was rich. Because he was short and could not see Jesus over the crowd, he climbed a tree. Jesus called to him and said that he would stay at his house, and the crowd murmured that Jesus had gone in to be the guest of a "sinner." Tax collectors of the period collected taxes on behalf of Roman rule and frequently charged more than was owed, so their fellow Jews despised them. Verse 8 records what Zacchaeus said when he stood and addressed Jesus, and verse 9 is Jesus' reply. Verse 10, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost," concludes the narrative.

Interpretation

• A resolve to repent and make restitution: This is the most widespread understanding. On this reading, after meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus promised to give half of his goods to the poor and to restore fourfold whatever he had extorted (taken from others by force). Fourfold restitution recalls the law of restitution for theft in Exodus 22:1. It is a heavier restitution than that required in Numbers 5:6–7, which called for repayment of the principal plus a fifth for a confessed wrong.
• A self-defense: Some scholars note that the Greek verbs for "give" and "restore" are in the present tense. They read the statement not as a promise for the future but as Zacchaeus's answer to the murmuring, explaining that this was already his habitual practice. On this reading, verse 9 becomes Jesus' declaration restoring to the community a man whom the community had shunned. Korean translations such as the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Standard Version generally render the words as a resolution for the future.
• Emphasis on "a son of Abraham": This reading sees the verse as a declaration that Zacchaeus, though ostracized as a tax collector, also belongs to God's covenant people. It is read alongside Luke 13:16, where Jesus calls a woman with an infirmity "a daughter of Abraham."

Questions of Application

A frequent point of discussion is how to understand the order of salvation and works. Interpreters in the Reformation traditions, such as Presbyterians and Lutherans, often emphasize the grace shown in Jesus' seeking out Zacchaeus first, and explain the restitution as the fruit that resulted from it. Those in the Wesleyan tradition, including Methodists and Holiness churches, often connect the passage with the "fruits worthy of repentance" of Luke 3:8 and stress actual change of life. No tradition, however, holds that Zacchaeus purchased salvation by his restitution.

The scene contrasts with the account in the preceding chapter of the rich ruler who went away unable to part with his wealth (Luke 18:24–27). When the passage is used as a basis for sermons on giving, some point out that the text speaks not of offerings to the church but of sharing with the poor and restitution to those who were wronged.

In the Korean Church

The story of Zacchaeus is often taught in Sunday school and vacation Bible school. In preaching, it is commonly cited to make the point that repentance must not stop at words but must be shown in concrete changes of life, such as almsgiving and restitution.

Related Passages

• Luke 19:10
• Luke 3:8
• Exodus 22:1
• Luke 18:24–27
• Matthew 9:13