Editing Zacchaeus

{{Short description|Jewish Christian disciple and apostle}}
{{About|the Biblical figure}}
{{Infobox saint
| honorific_prefix = [[Saint]]
| name             = Zacchaeus
| honorific_suffix = 
| image            = Palestine Jericho5 tango7174.jpg
| imagesize        = 230px
| alt              = Stained glass rendition of Zacchaeus receiving Jesus into his house.
| caption          = The Tax Collector and Bishop of Caesarea
| titles           = [[Bishop]] of [[Caesarea in Palaestina (diocese)|Caesarea]]
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = 
| birth_place      = 
| home_town        = [[Jericho]]
| residence        = [[Caesarea (modern town)|Caesarea]]
| death_date       = 1st or 2nd century
| death_place      = Caesarea
| death_cause      =
| venerated_in     = [[Catholic Church]]<br>[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]]
| canonized_date   = [[Pre-Congregation]]
| canonized_place  = 
| canonized_by     = 
| major_shrine     = 
| feast_day        = 20 April
| attributes       = Bearded man holding a [[Ficus sycomorus|sycamore]] branch
| patronage        = 
| issues           = 
}}

'''Zacchaeus''' (sometimes spelled '''Zaccheus'''; {{langx|grc|Ζακχαῖος}}, ''{{Transliteration|grc|Zakchaîos}}''; {{langx|syc|ܙܰܟ݁ܰܝ|Zakay}}, "pure, innocent")<ref>{{cite web|last=Milligan|first=Jim|title=Lexicon :: Strong's G2195 - Zakchaios |url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=G2195 |work=Blue Letter Bible |publisher=Sowing Circle}}</ref> was a chief [[publican|tax-collector]] at [[Jericho]] in the [[Bible]]. He is known primarily for his faith in climbing a [[Ficus sycomorus|sycamore tree]] to see [[Jesus]] and also his generosity in giving away half of all he possessed.<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|19:1-10|KJV}}</ref>

A descendant of [[Abraham]], he was an example of [[Jesus]]'s personal, earthly mission to bring salvation to the lost.<ref>{{cite web|last=Warfield|first=Benjamin Breckinridge|title=Jesus' Mission, According to His Own Testimony|url=http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/sdg/warfield/warfield_jesusmission.html|work=Monergism|publisher=CPR Foundation}}</ref> Tax collectors were despised as traitors (working for the [[Roman Empire]], not for their Jewish community), and as being [[corruption|corrupt]]. His story is found in the [[Gospel of Luke]].<ref>{{bibleverse||Luke|19:1-10|KJV}}</ref>

Because the lucrative production and export of [[balsam]] was centered in Jericho, his position would have carried both importance and wealth.<ref>Morris, Leon. ''Luke: An Introduction and Commentary''. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1988. p. 297.</ref><ref name="Stier1861">{{Cite book |author=Rudolf Stier |year=1861 |title=The Words of the Lord Jesus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pJ8UAAAAQAAJ&q=editions:K1JnOCf_F5UC |volume=4 |translator=William Burt Pope |page=314}}</ref> In the account, he arrived before the crowd who were later to meet with [[Jesus]], who was passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. He was short in stature and so was unable to see Jesus through the crowd ([[Luke 19]]:3). Zacchaeus then ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree along Jesus's path. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up at the sycamore tree (actually a sycamore-fig ''[[Ficus sycomorus]]''<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/sycamore/ |title=Bible Study Tools - Sycamore Definition and Meaning |author=<!--Not stated--> |department=www.biblestudytools.com |publisher=Salem Media Group |access-date=17 February 2018}}</ref>), addressed Zacchaeus by name, and told him to come down, for he intended to visit his house. The crowd was shocked that Jesus, a religious teacher/prophet, would sully himself by being a guest of a sinner.

==Later traditions==
[[Image:Greek-Orthodox Zaccheus' Tree, Jericho.jpg|thumb|left|210px|[[Ficus sycomorus|Sycamore]] of Zacchaeus, Greek Orthodox monastery of the prophet Elisha, [[Jericho]], [[Palestinian territories|Palestine]]]]
At Er-riha (Jericho) there is a large, venerable looking square tower, which by tradition is named the House of Zacchaeus.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}{{dubious|Probably a medieval pilgrim's statement? Quite certainly not contemporary. ESSENTIAL to indicate when from!|date=February 2016}}

[[Clement of Alexandria]] refers once to Zacchaeus in a way which could be read as suggesting that some identified him with apostle [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] or [[Saint Matthias|Matthias]].<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/02104.htm Stromata] Book 4 Ch 6 The New Advent Translation says "It is said, therefore, that Zaccheus, or, according to some, Matthew, the chief of the publicans, on hearing that the Lord had deigned to come to him, said, Lord, and if I have taken anything by false accusation, I restore him fourfold;" but the [http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Clement%20of%20Alexandria_PG%2008-09/Stromata.pdf Greek] has 4.6.35.2 Ζακχαῖον τοίνυν, οἳ δὲ Ματθίαν φασίν, ἀρχιτελώνην, ἀκηκοότα τοῦ κυρίου καταξιώσαντος πρὸς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι, ἰδοὺ τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μου δίδωμι ἐλεημοσύνην φάναι, κύριε, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα, τετραπλοῦν ἀποδίδωμι. ἐφ' οὗ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ εἶπεν· can just about be read as "by some said to be Matthias")</ref> However, Luke indicates that Matthias was with Jesus in the beginning since the baptism of John ([[Acts 1:21–22]]). 
Because John preached the giving away of one's excess possessions in Luke 3:7–14, this could explain the generosity of Little Zacchaeus. John also told us that later, many of Jesus' disciples turned back and no longer followed him ([[S:Bible (American Standard)/John#6:60|John 6:60–66]]). The later [[Apostolic Constitutions]] identify "Zacchaeus the Publican" as the first bishop of [[Caesarea Maritima#Early Christian centre|Caesarea]] (7.46).

Medieval legend identified Zacchaeus with [[Saint Amadour]], and held him to be the founder of the French sanctuary, [[Rocamadour]].

==Liturgical practices==
[[Image:33 Nedelya po 50ce 14.jpg|thumb|left|220px|Jesus invites Zacchaeus to come down from the sycamore tree, 11th century Veneto-[[Byzantine mosaics|Byzantine mosaic]] from Saint Mark's Basilica]]
In [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Greek-Catholic]] Churches, the Gospel account of Zacchaeus is read on the penultimate Sunday of the [[Pre-Lenten Season]] preceding the start [[Great Lent]], for which reason that Sunday is known as "Zacchaeus Sunday". It is the first commemoration of a new [[Paschal cycle]]. The account was chosen to open the Lenten season because of two [[exegesis|exegetical]] aspects: Jesus's call to Zacchaeus to come down from the tree (symbolizing the divine call to humility), and Zacchaeus's subsequent repentance. On years when Pascha, and hence Lent, falls very early the Sunday of the Canaanite woman is dropped and the Sunday of Zaccheaus falls immediately before Great Lent. However in some Eastern churches of the Greek/Byzantine tradition, Zacchaeus Sunday is instead dropped, and does not form part of the Lental cycle for that year. In the Russian tradition Zacchaeus Sunday always immediately precedes Great Lent having exchanged places with the Sunday of the Canaanite Woman.

In Western Christianity, the gospel pericope concerning Zacchaeus is the reading for a [[Dedication (ritual)|Dedication]] of a Church or its anniversary. In Southern [[Bavaria]], a red banner with a white cross may be flown outside a Church on its [[Kirchweih|anniversary]], which is consequently called the Zacchaeus flag.

==See also==
*[[Luke 19]]
*The [[naked fugitive]]
*[[Paschal cycle]]
*[[Zacchaeus (song)]]
*[[Zacchaeus of Jerusalem]]

==References==
<references/>
*{{EBD|Zacchaeus}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Zacchaeus}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=none}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Bishop of Caesarea]]|years=?}}
{{s-aft|after=Cornelius (possibly [[Cornelius the Centurion]])}}
{{s-end}}
{{New Testament people}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bishops of Caesarea]]
[[Category:Biblical Jericho]]
[[Category:Christian saints from the New Testament]]
[[Category:Followers of Jesus]]
[[Category:Saints from the Holy Land]]
[[Category:Gospel of Luke]]
[[Category:People from Jericho]]
[[Category:Tax collectors]]
[[Category:Trees in Christianity]]