The story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, is one of the most well-known in the Bible. He is said to have climbed a tree to see Jesus pass by because He was pretty short. Many have questioned this action in light of Zaccheasses’s social standing at the time. So, then do short people go to Heaven?
We can confidently say that short people go to Heaven, as no verse states otherwise. In Luke 19:1-10, we see a short man called Zacchaeus attracting Jesus’ attention by climbing a sycamore tree just to see Him. As a tax collector, Zacchaeus was viewed as a ruthless man. After meeting and dining with Jesus, Zacchaeus promised to give half of his possessions to the poor and to repay anyone he had cheated or ripped off four times over. Furthermore, Jesus announced that salvation had arrived at Zacchaeus’ home. From these events, we deduce that Zacchaeus’ height never played any role in his sinfulness or his salvation.
If you want to know if short people go to Heaven, if being short is a sin, and if being short is a curse according to the Bible, keep reading this article to find out.
What does the Bible say about short people?
Short people are only mentioned twice in the Bible in the old testament in Leviticus 21: 18-20, which says; for any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. In the new testament, the tale of Zacchaeus, a short man, is told in the gospels, for example, in Luke 19:1-4 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. And he ran before and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
The Bible touches on the subject of being short but not in detail to elaborate on what God thought of short people; however, it should be noted that God is interested in the condition of our hearts, not physical appearance.
Does the Bible indicate that short people will go to hell?
No verse in the Bible says that short people are condemned to go to hell. Short people will not go to hell because of the challenge of their height. According to the Bible in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 in flaming fire taking vengeance on them, that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power.
The verse states that those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and who do not know or acknowledge God will be punished by being thrown into hell. God is loving, and He delights in His creation, especially man, whom He breathed life into and created in His image. One’s height, especially if they are short, has nothing to do with their ability to enter Heaven.
Commentators believe that God is concerned about the state of your heart for you to enter Heaven. Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Are you living right in God’s eyes and obeying his commands? Are you relying on God’s grace to live a righteous life daily rather than being self-reliant and self-righteous? Well, you’re on the right track to Heaven.
John 5;24 says Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life. The only way to Heaven is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior and having faith in Him as he is the way, the truth, and the life, and nobody can see the Father in Heaven except through him.
Is being short a sin, according to the Bible?
Being short is not a sin at all. It is just an attribute of our physical appearance, and God is pleased with how we look, no matter our height. Sin, in the actual sense, is disobeying God’s word and going against it. In Mark 7;20-23, Jesus taught his followers, He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, those evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
According to Jesus, sin is that which is evil that comes out of the abundance of our hearts. Jesus speaks of sin as an act of disobedience and living a reckless life that does not honor Him. He looked at creation and was very pleased by the work of His hands, we are his masterpiece, and God does not discriminate against short people.
Why do some people believe that short people will not go to Heaven?
Leviticus 21: 18-20 says; for any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. This verse has been misquoted and taken out of context by many to say that short people will not go to Heaven.
This verse is from the old testament. It was written as instructions to priests who, at the time, were the ones going in the presence of God to represent the people, as shared in the Bridgeway Bible Commentary. The priests reflected Christ, and Jesus Christ is pure, clean, and without defects. Thus God gave this instruction to have people who were similar to the Image of Christ approach him as the people’s representatives.
At the time sacrifices were being offered too, the same rules applied to the sacrificial animals that were being offered; they were to be without blemish and clean, a representation of what Christ, who was crucified on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice, was. This verse was not written to condemn short people; it was not written for the general population but for those chosen and selected by God to be His priests. Many have misinterpreted this scripture over time, and it is essential to always consider the context of a verse in the Bible before drawing any conclusions.
Are short people looked down upon in the Old Testament?
As mentioned in the previous entries, the verse that speaks to dwarfism and being short in the old testament is Leviticus 21: 18-20, which says; for any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or any limb too long, a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, or is a hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab, or is a eunuch. The old testament here gave rules on selecting priests and not the rest of the populace. During that era, Jesus had not yet been revealed, and God selected certain people to be representative of who Christ was. These people were known as priests and approached God’s throne on behalf of all people; therefore, just as Christ is perfect in every way, they were required to be perfect with no defects. The old testament does not disregard short people at all. In fact, in the book of Psalms 139, I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. God rubber stamps his approval of our physical appearance through David’s words. Thus this verse should be read and understood in light of who it was for, the priests, who were very few people in the population.
Did Zacchaeus save short people from going to hell?
No, not at all. This is not true according to the Bible. The only person who can save us from the shackles of hell is Jesus Christ. John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. This portion of scripture clearly states that salvation is through Jesus Christ and not by someone else. Zacchaeus could not save anyone.
He was a sinner, and people even exclaimed when they saw Jesus going to dine with Him. According to Luke 19:7, “All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” At the time, Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector, and he had been harassing people to pay taxes and taking more than required. People saw him as an evil man and were appalled by Christ’s decision to go to his house. But we see Jesus portrayed Himself as a savior who can redeem Zacheas and cleanse him from his sins in Luke 19:9-10 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Did God curse short people?
No. God did not curse short people. Just like any other group of people, short people are loved and accepted by God. Scripture says in 1 Samuel 16:7, But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
God is not interested in how we look at the end of the day; he is much more inclined to the condition of our hearts. According to theologists, God does not curse people because of their appearance but because of their inherent acts of disobedience. This is documented in Deuteronomy 28:15“But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.
REFERENCES
Should Christians care about physical appearance?
Going to Heaven – how can I guarantee my eternal destination?
Rules concerning priests (21:1-22:16)
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
