‘Zacchaeus the Tax Collector’

Luke 19:1-10

View the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmZhUKS_cQA

Please read:

Zacchaeus was a dishonest man whose curiosity led him to Jesus Christ and
salvation. Ironically, his name means "pure" or "innocent" in Hebrew.

As a chief tax collector for the city of Jericho, Zacchaeus was an employee of
the Roman Empire. Under the Roman system, men bid on those positions,
pledging to raise a certain amount of money. Anything they raised over that
amount was their personal profit.

Luke says Zacchaeus was a wealthy man, so he must have extorted a great deal
from the people and encouraged his assistants to do so as well.

Jesus was passing through Jericho one day, but because Zacchaeus was a short
man, he could not see over the crowd. He ran ahead and climbed a sycamore
tree to get a better view. Jesus, looking up and seeing him, told Zacchaeus to
come down because he would stay at his house.

The crowd, however, muttered that Jesus would be socializing with a sinner
who was ‘unclean’. Jews hated tax collectors because they were dishonest
tools of the oppressive Roman government.

At Jesus' call to him, Zacchaeus promised to give half his money to the poor
and repay fourfold anyone he had cheated. Jesus told Zacchaeus he would see
salvation because Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Zacchaeus is not mentioned again after that episode, but we can assume his
repentant spirit and his acceptance of Christ did, indeed, lead to his salvation.
 Answer the following questions by taking on the role of Zacchaeus:

Forgiveness
The Hebrew words for forgiveness literally mean to lift up and carry away.
When we ask for God’s forgiveness we are asking that God will lift up our sins
and carry them away from us.

Questions for Zacchaeus Possible responses

Factual Information:

Where were you heading when

you heard Jesus speaking?

What was your business in

Jericho?

Feelings about the event:

How did you feel when Jesus

spoke to you?

How did you feel when Jesus

said he was coming to your
house?

Reasons for acting in a

particular manner:

Why did you climb up the tree?

Why were you collecting taxes

for the Romans?

Reactions after the event:

How did this event change your

life?