Present the reading
Luke 19.1-10 - Two ways to tell the story, followed by ideas for discussion time
Jesus speaks to Zacchaeus, a hated tax collector, who is sitting in a tree in Jericho. Jesus invites himself back to Zacchaeus’ house and changes his life.
Choose from these two ways of telling the story.
Promenade Put up signposts around your space: Jericho; Zacchaeus’ house. Draw a sycamore tree on a roll of paper and stick it on a wall. Start the story at the town sign and read until *, then move to the tree. Read until ** then move to Zacchaeus’ house. You could sit at the table laid in the Gathering activity to finish the story.
Play reading Beforehand, print copies of the script , enough for one per child. Invite two volunteers to play Jesus and Zacchaeus; everyone else can be the crowd. Read the script together. You could pause at intervals and ask members of the crowd, ‘What do you think or feel about what’s going on?’
Simon Smith, www.simonsmithillustrator.co.uk
Jesus was on his way through the city of Jericho, where there lived a man called Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector and he was very rich. Zacchaeus desperately wanted to see Jesus, so he joined the crowds that were waiting at the roadside. But Zacchaeus was quite short, so he couldn’t see over people’s heads! He looked around wondering what to do, and as he looked, he spotted a sycamore tree. Zacchaeus ran to the tree * and climbed up. Now he could see everything.
A little while later Jesus walked past. As he came towards the tree, he looked up and saw Zacchaeus sitting there. ‘Zacchaeus,’ he shouted. ‘Quick. Climb down! Today I am going to be a guest in your house.’ Zacchaeus was shocked but very pleased. Quickly he climbed down the tree and welcomed Jesus to his house. **
Some people in the crowd were not very happy about this, though. They began to grumble, ‘Jesus is a guest at the house of a tax collector, a sinner! A man who has taken more money from us than he should have!’
Zacchaeus turned to Jesus and said, ‘I will take half of everything I own and give it to the poor. And anyone I have wrongly taken money from, I will pay back. In fact, I will pay back four times what I owe them.’
Jesus looked at Zacchaeus and said, ‘Today salvation has come to this house.’ Then he turned to the crowd and said, ‘Because this man too is
a Son of Abraham. The Son of Man came to find and save those who
are lost.’
Glossary
sinner someone who is not living life as God intends; salvation being saved by God and having our relationship with him restored; Son of Abraham a descendant of Abraham, or one who shares his faith; Son of Man a title from the Old Testament’s Book of Daniel, used by Jesus to describe himself.
Talk together
- Have you ever had a surprise visitor? What happened when they arrived?
- How do you think the people of Jericho will treat Zacchaeus in the future?
- What do you think is the most important part of this story?