Children of all ages quickly recognize Zacchaeus as the little man who shimmied up a sycamore in Jericho to get a glimpse of Jesus as he passed through town. His story has long been a favorite with the children of the church schools, especially those who have experience in climbing trees. His image is imprinted on the mental screen of everyone familiar with the story, for when pilgrims tour the Holy Land and come to Jericho, to see a sycamore rates high in their priorities, and travel guides who find exhibits in the land of Jesus for nearly everything the Bible mentions seldom disappoint them. A sycamore remains in Jericho to satisfy the curious.

But the little man deserves to be remembered for much more than being up a tree. He may have been a little man, small of stature, as the record …