Curious Christian

This striking painting of Zacchaeus by German priest-artist Sieger Köder imagines the familiar Gospel story (Luke 19:1–10) from a less conventional angle. Rather than focusing on the comedic image of the man in a tree, Köder centers the moment Jesus enters the house of Zacchaeus—capturing the tension, curiosity, and resistance swirling around this radical act of grace. The crowd presses in with suspicion and judgment. But Zacchaeus, partially veiled and reaching toward the light, becomes a symbol of hidden longing and divine invitation. Jesus is not seen directly, but his presence is unmistakable, shadowed in the doorway, illuminating repentance and hospitality.