Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 19:4

"And he ran on before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way." — Luke 19:4 (ASV)

Zacchaeus was a “chief tax collector,” holding a higher office in the Roman tax system than Levi did (5:27–30). This system, under which an officer gained his income by extorting more money from the people than he had contracted to pay the Roman government, had evidently worked well for Zacchaeus. His location in the major customs center of Jericho was ideal. Observe the proximity of this story to that of the rich ruler, whose attitude toward wealth kept him from the Lord (18:27). Zacchaeus’s desire to see Jesus was surpassed by the fact that Jesus wanted to see him.

The implication of Jesus’ question is clear: Jesus refuses to give more light to those who refuse to accept the light they have (v.8) and make a decision concerning it (vv.5–7). They choose to stay on a worldly level of thinking. The word “heaven” (GK 4041) is a surrogate for God in vv.3, 5.