The Gospel passage from Luke 19:1-10, known as the story of Zacchaeus, is read in the Orthodox Church on the 15th Sunday of Luke, which is the Sunday of Zacchaeus (for the year 2026, it is Sunday, January 25). This Sunday typically falls in late January or early February and marks the preparation for the penitential period of the Triodion. The Triodion begins the following Sunday (of the Publican and the Pharisee) and leads into Great Lent, focusing on repentance, humility, and return to God. The story of Zacchaeus is chosen here precisely to introduce these themes: Zacchaeus, a wealthy tax collector, repents and is saved, reminding the faithful of the need for spiritual awakening before the fasting and prayer of Lent. According to tradition, this Sunday serves as a “prologue” to the Triodion, calling for self-examination and repentance.
The passage recounts the story of Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector from Jericho, who was wealthy but also hated by the people due to his profession—tax collectors collected taxes on behalf of the Roman conquerors and often exploited their fellow countrymen. Zacchaeus, being short in stature, climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus passing through the city. Christ calls him by name: “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house” (Luke 19:5). Zacchaeus obeys, receives Christ into his home, and declares: “Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold” (Luke 19:8). Jesus responds: “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9), and concludes: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
According to Orthodox interpretive tradition, this passage is a hymn to the power of repentance and the saving work of divine grace. Zacchaeus symbolizes the sinful person, trapped in greed and injustice. His short stature is not only physical but also spiritual: it shows his humility before Christ. The sycamore tree, with its dense foliage, represents the obstacles of worldly life—wealth, ambition, sins—that hinder the vision of God. However, Zacchaeus overcomes these obstacles with his desire to see Jesus, showing that faith begins with an inner impulse to know God.
Christ, as the All-Knowing One, knows Zacchaeus’s name and heart before he speaks. This underscores the divine initiative in salvation: it is not man who “finds” God, but God who seeks man. Zacchaeus’s hospitality in his home symbolizes an open heart toward Christ, and his declaration of restitution for injustices (fourfold repayment, in accordance with the Mosaic Law, cf. Exod. 22:1) shows genuine repentance—not mere sorrow, but an act of justice. Zacchaeus’s repentance is the fruit of Christ’s presence, which transforms the sinner into a righteous person.
In the context of the Triodion, the passage teaches that no sin is unforgivable if there is humility. Zacchaeus, from being a “chief tax collector” (leader of sinners), becomes an example of salvation, reminding us that Christ came for the “lost”—the sinners, not the righteous. The Church Fathers see here a contrast with the rich young man (Luke 18:18-27), who departed sorrowful: Zacchaeus, on the contrary, distributes his wealth, showing that salvation comes when we renounce the bonds of material things.
After Pentecost, the hagiographical tradition of the Orthodox Church states that Zacchaeus became a disciple of the Apostles and was later ordained bishop of Caesarea in Palestine by the Apostle Peter. He served faithfully, preaching the Gospel, and was martyred for his faith during the persecutions. His memory is honored on April 20.
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