Zacchaeus
Bible Text: Luke 19:1–11
In a nutshell: Jesus’ welcome transforms our life and behavior.
Big Question: How am I changed because Jesus welcomes me?
Key Words: TAX COLLECTOR, SEEK, SAVE
• Jericho sat on a strategic trade route and was a likely place for tax collecting.
• By working for the Roman occupiers, Zacchaeus was a political traitor to his people, but the nature of his job meant that he also had to charge more than the Romans required in order to make a living for himself. Because he colluded with the Romans, who were Gentiles, Zacchaeus was considered unclean by the laws of his faith.
• Being unclean meant he could not participate in the life of the worshipping community—he was an outcast religiously as well as sociologically (as a traitor).
• Jesus welcomed many people who were considered unclean in his day. His behavior seems to suggest that everyone is welcome in God’s eyes.
• Zacchaeus’s interaction with Jesus was life-changing for him. God’s welcome transforms us all.
Adolescent Connection
How am I changed because Jesus welcomes me?
The story of Zacchaeus is a story about transformation. This transformation comes from the hand of Jesus as he takes a personal interest in this man who is considered a sinner by his neighbors. Personal identification is a key to hearing the richness of this story and will bring the story to life. Youth have all felt “small” at one time or another, and this metaphorical connection brings them into the story immediately. What lengths might they go to, to be able to “see” Jesus? The realization that Jesus knows their name places a different spin on their relationship with him. Thinking about righting a wrong in their own lives can be a powerful enhancement to hearing this story. A reemphasis of Luke’s theme of Jesus coming to save the least, the last, and the lost through this story will resonate with the youth as their feelings often lead in that direction.
