September 23, 2010
ZACCHEUS, THE TAX COLLECTOR
Luke 19:1-10
Collin Cummings
Central Truth
Everyone's a sinner, but we are all made in God's image.
Key Verse | Luke 19:7
When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." (Luke 19:7)
Luke 19:1-10
Jesus and Zacchaeus
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7 And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” 8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Dive Deeper | Luke 19:1-10
Dear Lord, thank you for this day, and thank you for everything that you have given us. I pray that you would help me to strive to be more Christlike. I pray that you would also help me to forgive and love rather than hold a grudge. In your name I pray, Amen.
In my mind, when Jesus goes everywhere, its like he's going on a world tour doing miracles and stuff. Even today at concerts, people do whatever it takes to see whoever is performing. So that is why Zaccheus was in the sycamore tree (and he was really short).
The people whispered about him because he was a sinner. But that is not fair because we are all sinners. We all do the same thing. When someone does something wrong to us, we cast them out, talk behind their backs, and try not to include them in things. And that is the opposite of what we should do—love them and welcome them into the church.
A couple years ago, there was a bully at my school. For privacy purposes I'll just call him Zaccheus. One day, he took my earphones and ripped them up. Now, I was mad at first, but instead of holding a grudge, I "killed him with kindness," as my mom says. I did this because all those Zaccheuses out there are the people to whom I need to be extra kind. I did this also because I know that he is made in God's image. You are made in God's image, I am made in God's image, and Zaccheus was made in God's image, too.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think that Zaccheus' intentions were good or bad? Why?
2. Why do you think Jesus chose to stay at Zaccheus' house in particular?
3. What can you infer about Zaccheus (religion-wise) before he met Jesus?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Who was Zaccheus? Why did he climb a sycamore tree? How did Zaccheus’ life change after he spent time with Jesus?
2. How are you different because of time you spend with Jesus?