Gospel in Art: Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus and Christ, Unknown Author, leaf from the Stammheim Missal, 1170, © The J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. 64, fol. 164

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 30 October 2022
Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance: he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: 'Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.' And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. 'He has gone to stay at a sinner's house' they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, 'Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost.'

Reflection on the Illuminated Manuscript

The story of Zacchaeus is so pertinent to our times today. Zacchaeus was intrigued about Jesus and wanted to see for himself who Jesus was by looking at him from a safe position in the tree. Intrigued, but keeping Christ at a distance. How on earth can we get to know anyone, by keeping a distance? Jesus knew that, so he called Zacchaeus to come out of the tree and invited himself over to the house. We cannot know anyone just by looking at them; we need to engage. The same goes with our attitude towards our Church. We cannot know the Church unless we are in the midst of it and engage with it. Otherwise we will always be spectators who will criticise from the outside, without knowing the beauty it has to offer from the inside.

The desire to know the other person leads to a proper relationship with the other. Zacchaeus took the initiative to see Jesus from the tree, and then Jesus built upon that initiative. It changed Zacchaeus' life. Christ was invited not only into Zacchaeus' house but also into his heart.

Zacchaeus' life blossomed after the encounter with Christ, and probably bore much fruit for the people around him, just like the fruiting tree we see depicted in our late 12th-century illuminated manuscript page from the German Stammheim Missal. The blossoming tree shaped to be the initial 'D' holds Christ extending the invitational scroll to Zacchaeus… He accepted the invitation, changed his ways and donated half his worldly goods to the poor… This promise, and the knowledge that Christ does change people after their encounter with him, should stand as a beacon to our apostolic drive and initiatives. Bringing people back to Christ matters!

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/

Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-19-1-10-2022/