What If Jesus Was Short

Paula Shockley
Oct 30
2 min read

Depict a modern, well-dressed Black man standing just outside a lively urban church. He’s paused at the threshold—not quite inside, not quite outside—looking toward a warm group of people who are smiling and welcoming him in. In the background, there’s a tree with a child sitting in it, peering curiously at the church doors, nodding to Zacchaeus’s iconic tree-climbing moment. — Created using ChatGPT

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

(Luke 19:1-6)

The story of Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see Jesus is well known likely because of the vivid image of a short, wealthy, tax collector climbing a tree to see Jesus, and seemingly changing his ways immediately upon meeting Jesus. There's even a popular Sunday school song that makes light of those details. However, the original Greek leaves room for a slightly different understanding. It's uncertain if the "he" who was short was Zacchaeus or Jesus - either option would have made it difficult to see Jesus through the crowd. Also, when Zacchaeus came down from the tree and seemed to exclaim that he would give to the poor and repay what he had unjustly charged, it's possible - again, due to the translation - that he was actually saying that he was already giving to the poor and that his repentance through repayment was ongoing.

We know that no one can encounter Jesus and stay the same. That message remains - even if Jesus was short and Zacchaeus had already begun to experience Jesus' salvation - but it's helpful to shift our perspective occasionally, to keep broad our understanding of whom salvation is for. Everyone. Whom have we deemed unworthy of meeting Jesus? Whom have we thought it was a waste of time to pray for? Who has so much that we think they don't need Jesus? Jesus' acknowledgement of Zacchaeus as a son of Abraham wasn't just for Zacchaeus, but to open the eyes of his community and tear down false divisions. Jesus came to save the sinner - the least, the last, and the lost - and that is all of us. Even them. Even you.

1 Blessed is the one

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

2 Blessed is the one

whose sin the Lord does not count against them

and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent,

my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night

your hand was heavy on me;

my strength was sapped