Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,1-10. At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector …More
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 19,1-10.
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."
And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Saint Ephrem (c.306-373)
deacon in Syria, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Diatessaron, XV, 20-21 (cf. SC 121, p. 277)
"Today salvation has come to this house"
Zacchaeus prayed thus in his heart: “How blessed is he who is worthy to receive this Just man into his house”. Our Savior said to him: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly!” And he, seeing that the Lord knew his thoughts, said: “Since he knows about these he must also know all I have done”. That is why he declared: “All I have extorted from anyone, I shall repay it four times over”.
“Quick, come down from that fig tree, for I am going to stay with you”. Thanks to this second fig tree, that of the chief of publicans, the first fig tree, that of Adam, falls into oblivion and the name of Adam is likewise forgotten thanks to righteous Zacchaeus (…) “Today, life has come to this house” (…) Through his prompt obedience, he who was a mere thief yesterday has today become a doer of good deeds; he who yesterday was a tax gatherer today becomes a disciple.
Zacchaeus has left behind the old law and climbed an immobile fig tree, symbol of his spirit's deafness. But this climb is the symbol of his salvation. He has forsaken baseness and climbed up to see divinity in the heights. Our Lord hastened to make him abandon that withered fig tree, his former manner of life, so that he would not remain deaf. While the flame of love for our Lord burned within him it consumed the old man in him to create in him a new man.
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner."
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over."
And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB
Saint Ephrem (c.306-373)
deacon in Syria, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on the Diatessaron, XV, 20-21 (cf. SC 121, p. 277)
"Today salvation has come to this house"
Zacchaeus prayed thus in his heart: “How blessed is he who is worthy to receive this Just man into his house”. Our Savior said to him: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly!” And he, seeing that the Lord knew his thoughts, said: “Since he knows about these he must also know all I have done”. That is why he declared: “All I have extorted from anyone, I shall repay it four times over”.
“Quick, come down from that fig tree, for I am going to stay with you”. Thanks to this second fig tree, that of the chief of publicans, the first fig tree, that of Adam, falls into oblivion and the name of Adam is likewise forgotten thanks to righteous Zacchaeus (…) “Today, life has come to this house” (…) Through his prompt obedience, he who was a mere thief yesterday has today become a doer of good deeds; he who yesterday was a tax gatherer today becomes a disciple.
Zacchaeus has left behind the old law and climbed an immobile fig tree, symbol of his spirit's deafness. But this climb is the symbol of his salvation. He has forsaken baseness and climbed up to see divinity in the heights. Our Lord hastened to make him abandon that withered fig tree, his former manner of life, so that he would not remain deaf. While the flame of love for our Lord burned within him it consumed the old man in him to create in him a new man.