Luca 19:5 Commento

In this chapter we have, I. The conversion of Zaccheus the publican at Jericho (Luk 19:1-10). II. The parable of the pounds which the king entrusted with his servants, and of his rebellious citizens (v. 11-27). III. Christ's riding in triumph (such triumph as it was) into Jerusalem; and his lamentation in prospect of the ruin of that city (v. 28-44). IV. His teaching in the temple, and casting the buyers and sellers out of it (Luk 19:45-48).

And Jesus entered, and passed through Jericho. Though the word "Jesus" is not in the original text it is rightly supplied in our version; as it is also in the Syriac, Persic, Ethiopic versions; for of him the words are manifestly spoken: after he had healed the blind man he met with near to Jericho, he entered into it, but made no stay in it, passed through it at once without stopping, though a very populous city; but here he had no work, either to perform miracles, or to convert sinners; though both, before he entered, and after he passed through it. And Jesus entered, and passed through Jericho. Though the word "Jesus" is not in the original text it is rightly supplied in our version; as it is also in the Syriac, Persic, Ethiopic versions; for of him the words are manifestly spoken: after he had healed the blind man he met with near to Jericho, he entered into it, but made no stay in it, passed through it at once without stopping, though a very populous city; but here he had no work, either to perform miracles, or to convert sinners; though both, before he entered, and after he passed through it. Luke 19:2 luk 19:2 luk 19:2 luk 19:2And behold there was a man named Zacchaeus,.... Or "Zaccai", a name in use among the Jews; see Ezr 2:9. We often read of , "Rabbi Zaccai", or "Zacchaeus" (a), and very frequently of R. Jochanan ben Zaccai, a famous doctor that lived in the times of Christ, and even till after the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews also make mention of one R. Zaccai, a prince of the seed of David the king, in later times (b). So that this man, as appears by his name, was a Jew, though some have thought him to have been a Gentile (c), perhaps because of his employment: but it does not follow from thence; for there were Jews that were publicans, as Levi, or Matthew, afterwards one of Christ's disciples; and also in Jewish writings, mention is made, as of , "a stranger", or "a Gentile publican" (d), so likewise of , "an Israelite publican" (e); and such an one was Zacchaeus, as follows: which was chief among the publicans; the head of them in that place, to whom the rest brought the tax, tribute, or toll; he was the receiver general of the tax: at the toll booths, at bridges, for people's going over the water, there was , "the greater publican", and , "the lesser publican" (f), who was deputy to the other. What sort of tax Zacchaeus was concerned in collecting, is not certain; however, he was a principal man in this employ, and had got great riches by it. And he was rich; was a person of figure among the publicans, and of substance, which he had gained in his post. And though the instances of rich men being called by grace are few, yet there have been some; and the rather this circumstance is mentioned, because it had been observed in the preceding chapter, how difficult, but not impossible, as this instance proves, it was for rich men to enter into the kingdom of God. (a) T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 27. 2. & Yebamot, fol. 77. 2. Nazir, fol. 38. 1. & Nidda, fol. 41. 2. & Juchasin, fol. 90. 2. (b) R. Benjamin Itinerar. p. 61, 94. (c) Tertull. contr. Marcion. l. 4. c. 37. (d) T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 113. 1. (e) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Bava Kama, c. 10. sect. 1. (f) T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 78. 2.

And he made haste,.... Such power went along with the words of Christ, that they immediately reached his heart, awakened his conscience, affected his mind, and drew his soul to Christ, and knit him to him, that be made all imaginable haste to be with him. So souls sensible of their dangerous state and condition by nature, and apprehensive of impending ruin and destruction, and having some intimation of safety and happiness in Christ, and being filled with love to him, and a liking of him flee with all haste to him for refuge, for righteousness, peace, pardon, life, and salvation: and came down; from the tree he had climbed, merely to indulge his curiosity, little thinking that he should be called by name by him; that he should have him a guest at his house, and have such a knowledge of him, and familiar acquaintance with him: so souls, when called by Christ, and made sensible of their need of him, and the worth there is in him, quit their former post and place, part with their carnal lusts and sinful companions, and renounce their own righteousness and works, and come as sinners, humble and lowly, and venture upon Christ: and received him joyfully; not only into his house, but into his arms and heart: Christ was a welcome guest to him, as he is to every sensible sinner, who by faith receives him, as the Father's free gift; as the alone Saviour and Redeemer; as the great Mediator, in all his offices, of prophet, priest, and king; and in every relation and character he bears; and embraces his doctrines, and submits to his ordinances, and that with, the greatest joy; as there is reason for it, since with him, he receives the free and full forgiveness of his sins, a justifying righteousness, an abundance of grace, and a right unto, and meetness for heaven.

They teach that He pointed out the three kinds of men as follows: the material, when He said to him that asked Him, "Shall I follow Thee?" "The Son of man hath not where to lay His head;"-the animal, when He said to him that declared, "I will follow Thee, but suffer me first to bid them farewell that are in my house," "No man, putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of heaven" -the spiritual, again, when He said, "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the kingdom of God," and when He said to Zaccheus the publican, "Make haste, and come down, for to-day I must abide in thine house"-for these they declared to have belonged to the spiritual class.

"But of those who are present, whom shall I choose but Zacchæus, to whom also the Lord went in and rested, judging him worthy to be saved?" And having said this, he laid his hand upon Zacchæus, who stood by, and forced him to sit down in his own chair. But Zacchæus, falling at his feet, begged that he would permit him to decline the rulership; promising, at the same time, and saying, "Whatever it behooves the ruler to do, I will do; only grant me not to have this name; for I am afraid of assuming the name of the rulership, for it teems with bitter envy and danger."

Zacchaeus was praying in his heart as follows, “Happy the one who is worthy that this just man should enter into his dwelling.” The Lord said to him, “Hurry, come down, Zacchaeus.” Hurry and come down from the fig tree, because it is with you that I will be staying. The first fig tree of Adam will be forgotten, because of the last fig tree of the chief tax collector, and the name of the guilty Adam will be forgotten because of the innocent Zacchaeus.

Uninvited he invites Himself to his house; as it follows, Zacchæus, make haste, and come down, & c. for He knew how richly He would reward his hospitality. And though He had not yet heard the word of invitation, He had already seen the will.

Now Zacchæus desired no more than to see, but He who is able to do more than we ask for, granted to Him far above what he expected; as it follows, And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him. He saw the soul of the man striving earnestly to live a holy life, and converts him to godliness.

And when He came to that place, looking up, Jesus saw him. Traversing Jericho, the Savior came to the place where Zacchaeus, having run ahead, had climbed a sycamore tree, because, having sent His heralds of the word through the world, in whom He Himself certainly both spoke and went, He came to the people of the nations, who, already exalted by faith in His passion, were also longing to be blessed, having recognized His divinity. Looking up, He saw him, because through the grace of faith, elevated from earthly desires and standing out among the unbelieving crowds, He chose him. To see God is indeed to choose or to love. Hence, it is: The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (Psalm 34). For we also desire to see what we love, and we hasten to turn our gaze away from what we abhor. Therefore, Jesus saw the one seeing Him, because He chose the one choosing Him, and He loved the one loving Him. This indeed is the order of progressing, that is, coming to the knowledge of Divinity through faith in the Lord's incarnation, symbolized by climbing the sycamore tree to behold Jesus' face, as an excellent teacher indicated when he said: For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2). And reproaching others similarly, he said: You have become such as need milk, not solid food (Hebrews 5), calling the milk the weak details of the temporal dispensation, and solid food the profound truths of eternal majesty.

And he says to him: “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” And he hurried and came down, and received him joyfully. The Lord sometimes stayed in the house of the chief of the Pharisees, that is, he taught in the synagogue of the Jews; but because they reproached him with a venomous tongue for healing on the Sabbath without being baptized before the meal, for receiving publicans and sinners, for arguing against avarice, and for performing other deeds worthy of God, weary of their crimes, he departed and fled saying: “Your house will be left desolate to you” (Matt. 23). But today he must stay in the house of the little Zacchaeus, that is, in the heart of the humble nations of believers where the grace of the new light shines. Moreover, the fact that Zacchaeus is ordered to come down from the sycamore and thus prepare a dwelling for Christ in his house, signifies what the Apostle says: “For although we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer” (II Cor. 5). For even though he died in weakness, he lives by the power of God.

The Lord as He journeyed came to the place where Zacchæus had climbed the sycamore, for having sent His preachers throughout the world in whom He Himself spoke and went, He comes to the Gentile people, who were already raised up on high through faith in His Passion, and whom when He looked up He saw, for He chose them through grace. Now our Lord once abode in the house of the chief of the Pharisees, but when He did works such as none but God could do, they railed at Him. Wherefore hating their deeds He departed, saying, Your house shall be left unto you desolate; (Matt. 23:38.) but now He must needs stay at the house of the weak Zacchæus, that is, by the grace of the new law brightly shining, He must take rest in the hearts of the lowly nations. But that Zacchæus is bid to come down from the sycamore tree, and prepare an abode for Christ, this is what the Apostle says, Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more. (2 Cor. 5:16.) And again elsewhere, For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. (2 Cor. 13:4.) It is plain that the Jews always hated the salvation of the Gentiles; but salvation, which formerly filled the houses of the Jews, has this day shone upon the Gentiles, forasmuch as this people also by believing on God is a son of Abraham.

The Lord snatches the strongest vessels from the devil and destroys his cities. For see how He not only made tax collectors His disciples, but also captures the chief among the tax collectors, Zacchaeus, unto salvation. And that a tax collector is a lowly creature, and the chief among the tax collectors, as one presiding over wickedness, is even more abominable — of this no one has any doubt. For tax collectors acquire their means of living in no other way than from the tears of the poor. Yet this chief among the tax collectors is not left in contempt, but shows hospitality and in return receives salvation. For when he desired to see Jesus and for this purpose climbed up into a sycamore tree, the Lord perceives him before he himself saw Him. Thus God everywhere anticipates us, as soon as He sees our readiness.

The Lord said to him, Make haste and come down, that is, "Thou hast ascended by penitence to a place too high for thee, come down by humility, lest thy exaltation cause thee to slip. I must abide in the house of a humble man."

The conversion of Zaccheus, Luk 19:1-10. The parable of the nobleman, his ten servants, and the ten pounds, vv. 11-27. Christ sends his disciples for a colt on which he rides into Jerusalem, Luk 19:28-40. He weeps over the city, and foretells its destruction, Luk 19:41-44. Goes into the temple, and casts out the buyers and sellers, Luk 19:45, Luk 19:46. The chief priests and the scribes seek to destroy him, but are afraid of the people, who hear him attentively, Luk 19:47, Luk 19:48.

Make haste, and come down - With this invitation, our blessed Lord conveyed heavenly influence to his heart; hence he was disposed to pay the most implicit and cheerful obedience to the call, and thus he received not the grace of God in vain.

ZACCHEUS THE PUBLICAN. (Luk 19:1-10) chief among the publicans--farming a considerable district, with others under him. rich--Ill-gotten riches some of it certainly was. (See on Luk 19:8.)

looked up,--in the full knowledge of who was in the tree, and preparatory to addressing him. Zaccheus--whom he had never seen in the flesh, nor probably heard of. "He calleth His own sheep by name and leadeth them out" (Joh 10:3). make haste, and come down--to which he literally responded--"he made haste and came down." for to-day, &c.--Our Lord invites Himself, and in "royal" style, which waits not for invitations, but as the honor is done to the subject, not the sovereign, announces the purpose of royalty to partake of the subject's hospitalities. Manifestly our Lord speaks as knowing how the privilege would be appreciated. to-day . . . abide--(Compare Joh 1:39), probably over night.