Qualiter Dominus intravit domum Zachaei
Zacchaeus Seeks the Lord
Zacchaeus, hindered by the crowd and his small stature, climbs a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who calls him down and promises to stay at his house, prompting Zacchaeus to receive him with joy and prepare a banquet.
As the Lord Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, heard about it and was eager to see him; but because of the crowd he couldn't get near, since he was small in stature, so he climbed a sycamore tree to get a view of him. Jesus, recognizing and welcoming his faith and desire, said: "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today." Then Zacchaeus came down and welcomed him with great joy and reverence, and prepared a fine banquet for him.
The Gift That Exceeds Desire
The text reflects on the surpassing courtesy of Christ, who gave Zacchaeus far more than he ever dared to ask — the gift of himself.
You have seen the gracious courtesy of the Lord Jesus. The loving Lord gave Zacchaeus more than he had dared to ask for: he gave him himself — something Zacchaeus would never have presumed to request.
The Power of Holy Desire
The author draws a lesson on prayer, teaching that desire itself is a powerful cry and a great prayer, confirmed by the Prophet's witness that God hears the desire of the poor.
Here, then —1 Here you have the power of prayer: desire itself is a mighty cry, and it is already a great prayer. And so the Prophet says: "The Lord has heard the desire of the poor; your ear has heard the readiness of their hearts."
Christ Eats with Sinners
The text recalls the Lord's question to Moses about crying out while the heart already speaks, then reflects on Christ sitting and eating familiarly with sinners, and on his disciples likewise conversing with them and encouraging them to good works in obedience to his saving will.
And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me?"✦ Since he was silent with his mouth at that time, but was speaking in his heart. Observe, then, him sitting and eating with those sinners: he placed himself at the table among them, with Zacchaeus, and honoring one of them, he seated that person at the head; familiarly and as one of the household he conversed, so as to draw them to himself.✦ Notice also the disciples willingly conversing with those same sinners, speaking with them and encouraging them to good works. For they knew this to be the will of their master, and they desired their salvation.
Read the original Latin
Cum Dominus Jesus ingrediens civitatem Hiericho ambularet * per eam: Zachaus princeps publicanorum hoc audiens, et desiderans veheraenter eum videre, nec valens propter multitudinem turbae, quia statura pusillus erat, ascendit in arborem sycomorum, ut vel sic eum videre posset. Jesus autem cognoscens, et acceptans fidem et desiderium ejus, dixit; ZachoBe, festinam descende, quia hodie in domo tua oportet me manere. Tunc ille descendit, et eum cum magno gaudio et reverentia suscepit, ac ei convivium magnum praeparavit. Yidisti curialitatem Domini Jesu. PIus dedit Zachaeo, quam ipse desiderasset: dedit ei se ipsum, quod ille ausus petere non fuisset. Hic igitur s \ et serDi. Li, habes de virtute orationis: nam desiderium maxima vox est, et magna oratio est. Et ideo dicit Propheta ^: Desiderium pauperum exaudivit Dominus: prceparationem cordis eorum audivit auris tua.
Et Moysi dixit Dominus *: Quid clomas ad me? cum ipse ore tunc taceret, sed corde loqueretur. Conspice ergo eum sedentem, comedentem cum ilhs peccatoribus: posuit se in medio mensas cum Zachaeo, ct aliquem ex illis honorans posuit in capite; familiariter et doraestice conversabatur, ut eos ad se attraheret. Conspice etiam discipulos libenter cum eisdem peccatoribus conversantes, coUoquentes cum eis, et eos ad bona opera confortantes. Sciebant enim hanc esse voluntatem magistri sui, et salutem eorum cupiebant
Scripture echoes
- ↩Exod.14.15 — Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the people of Israel to move forward.
- ↩Luke.19.1-Luke.19.10 — And he entered and was passing through Jericho. Luke.19.2 — And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. Luke.19.3 — and he was seeking to see Jesus, who he was, and he was not able because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. Luke.19.4 — And he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. Luke.19.5 — And when Jesus came to the place, looking up, he said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." Luke.19.6 — And he hurried down and welcomed him, rejoicing. Luke.19.7 — And when they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Luke.19.8 — But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I am giving half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I am paying it back fourfold." Luke.19.9 — And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. Luke.19.10 — For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Notes
- 1 ↩The Latin text appears corrupt or truncated at this point ('Hic igitur s \ et serDi'). The translation reflects the most plausible reading: a transitional phrase introducing the next point.
Meditationes Vitae Christi (Pseudo-Bonaventure), Castilian court context companion
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