Zacchaeus in the Tree · he was looking for Jesus and was found
A Bible story to tell as a family · Luke 19:1–10 · ages 3–12 · 8 min
The story
Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho. The streets were crowded, because everyone wanted to see the teacher people were talking so much about. In the middle of all that commotion there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.
Tax collectors were not liked at all. They worked for the Romans, who ruled the country, and many of them charged more than they should and kept the difference. That's why people saw them as traitors and thieves. And Zacchaeus was their boss. You can imagine the dirty looks and the whispers when he walked down the street. He had lots of money, but almost no real friends.
But that day Zacchaeus wanted to see who Jesus was. There was just one problem: he was short, and the crowd wouldn't let him see. He stretched his neck, stood on tiptoe, and nothing. Then he had an idea. He ran on ahead to a spot where Jesus would pass by and climbed a sycamore tree, a tree with low branches and wide leaves. A rich, important man, hanging in a tree like a little boy!
Jesus was coming, with the crowd all around, the noise and the dust. From up there, hidden among the leaves, Zacchaeus could see everything. Maybe he thought no one would see him there. And when Jesus came to that place, he looked up and saw him. And he called him by name: “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.” Out of all the people in that city, Jesus chose his house.
Zacchaeus hurried down, almost sliding down the trunk, and welcomed Jesus joyfully. It had been a long time since anyone wanted to come into his house. But the crowd didn't like it one bit. What? With so many good people in town, him of all people? Everyone began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!”
And then something changed inside Zacchaeus. No one ordered him, no one threatened him. He stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” The man who used to only know how to take now wanted to give back and to share.
Jesus answered, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham.” And he explained why he had come: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Zacchaeus climbed the tree to look for Jesus. But in the end, it was Jesus who was looking for him.
1Then Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2And there was a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who was very wealthy. 3He was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not see over the crowd because he was small in stature. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way. 5When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6So Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully. 7And all who saw this began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinful man!” 8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will repay it fourfold.” 9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
What the Bible says
- v. 4: Zacchaeus ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.
- v. 8: Zacchaeus decided to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay four times over anyone he had cheated.
- v. 10: “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
What we learn
Jesus didn't wait for Zacchaeus to change before going into his house. He called by name the man everyone despised, and it was meeting Jesus that changed Zacchaeus. The change was real and concrete: giving back what had been taken and sharing with the poor. This shows that grace is not an excuse to stay the same; it is the beginning of a new life. And it shows that no one is too far away to be sought by Jesus.
Questions to talk about
For little ones
- Why did Zacchaeus climb the tree?
- What did Jesus call Zacchaeus?
For kids
- People complained because Jesus went to Zacchaeus's house. Why do you think Jesus went anyway?
- Zacchaeus gave back what he had taken. Is there something you need to give back or make right?
For teens
- The crowd kept Zacchaeus from seeing Jesus and then criticized Jesus for going to his house. Do religious people sometimes get in the way of those who want to come close to God? How can we avoid being that crowd?
For adults
- Zacchaeus's change reached his wallet: giving back and sharing. What concrete area of your life would need to show that Jesus has come into your house?
Activity
Make a tree with a paper towel roll and branches of green paper. Write the name of each family member on a little paper figure and hide the figures among the branches. Taking turns, each person finds a figure and calls out the name: hurry down! Finish by reading Luke 19:10 together.
To memorize: Luke 19:10
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for looking for us and knowing our names. Come into our home today. Change what needs to be changed in us, and help us be generous and make right what we have done wrong. Amen.