The Story of Zacchaeus Luke 19:1-10

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1 Fall 2015 ~ Religious Instruction Lesson #10 Learning Objectives The Story of Zacchaeus Luke 19: The children will retell the story of Zacchaeus. 2. The children will explain why we need Jesus to help us change our hearts. Memory Verse: For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. --Luke 19:10 (NLT) Getting Started (Choose One Activity) The Tax Collector and the Prize Vendor See: New Testament Lesson 256 (Page 2) You will need green paper (or real money) for this activity, as you demonstrate what a tax is and explore how the people felt about tax collectors in Jesus time. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. What would you do Activity Have you ever had a teacher in school that really affected or changed your life? Maybe it was something he/she said, or the way he didn t judge you, etc. Share your experiences. Now imagine if you had a chance to meet Jesus. Set out an empty chair in the classroom, as if he were coming to visit the class today. What would you say to him? How would you act? What do you think you would ask him? How would you be different after meeting him? Discuss. Tell the students that you will be learning about a man that met Jesus and was changed. A Heart Lesson Bring into class various kinds of junk food and put them on the table. (Chips, Cookies, candy, etc.). Ask the students: What do all these things have in common? (Discuss together, eventually concluding that these foods are not so good for you or your heart.) Show the students the picture of the heart (see attached at the end of this lesson). Talk with the students about what happens to the arteries in your heart if you abuse it by eating too much of that junk food over the course of your lifetime. (The inside of your arteries can become blocked because of hardened plaque that accumulates over time.) If the arteries become blocked, you may have a heart attack and possibly die. Ask the students: How do you fix or change your heart if this kind of damage occurs? (surgery try to open up the blockage OR bypass the block all together, i.e. make another path for the blood to flow by going around the blocked area.) In today s lesson, we will learn about how one man s heart was changed because of his encounter with the Lord Jesus. 1

2 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions Message: Encounters with Jesus can change our hearts. Jesus and Zacchaeus Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. Zacchaeus! he said. Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today. 6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled. 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much! 9 Jesus responded, Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. Discussion Questions: 1. What was a Zacchaeus job? (Collecting taxes, i.e. money, for the government.) 2. How did people feel about the tax collectors? (The people thought many of them were dishonest. They collected money and kept some for themselves and they were considered greedy. People did not trust them.) 3. Why did Zacchaeus climb the tree? (He wanted to see Jesus, but he was too short!) 4. Why do you think Zacchaeus wanted so badly to see Jesus? (Answers will vary. The story does not give an answer; however, the students can speculate: curiosity, he wanted to see someone famous, he really wanted to change, etc.) 5. When Jesus spoke, what did he say to Zacchaeus? (He called him by name, meaning he already knew who he was!) How did He know his name? (Discuss together.) 6. Jesus met with Zacchaeus even though he was a sinner. Why do you think He did this? (Jesus did not judge, He came to save all people, including those who are lost.) 7. Why do you think Zacchaeus was able to change? (Answer will vary. His encounter with the Lord Jesus changed something in his heart, and so he repented, he wanted to change, and he believed in Jesus.) 8. When might we have encounters with Jesus? (In a service in God s house, through our prayers, in an encounter with a minister, etc.) 9. Have you ever had an encounter with our Heavenly Father? What happened? How did it change you? (Teachers be ready to share an experience of your own or someone you know.) 10. What did you learn from this story? (Discuss together and share.) 11. Do you think we need Jesus to help change our hearts? Why or why not? (Discuss.) 2

3 Application to Real Life A Little Room, Please Activity: See: Games A Little Room, Please You will need masking tape or removable squares for this simple, but effective and engaging game. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. Then discuss the following questions together: 1. What was hard about that experience? 2. As the area became smaller, what did you have to do to fit? 3. How many of you became frustrated? Why? 4. Why do you think it s so hard to get everyone to fit in such a small space? 5. What does this experience tell you about your heart? (Then review the message statement.) Memory Work Suggestions 5 minutes 1. Recite the memory verse. Then explain what it means in your own words. 2. Play a game to review the 1 st Article of Faith. 3. Retell the story of Zacchaeus in your own words. Activity Ideas The Human Heart continued. Continue the discussion about the Human Heart (from the Intro Activity). Recall that when our natural heart (the arteries, etc.) becomes hardened, we seek help from the cardiologist (a heart doctor) to make things better. Make a list (on your easel or dry erase board) of things around us that can harden our spiritual heart. Examples may include the following: -when we sin and do not seek forgiveness -when someone wrongs us and we hold a grudge -when we think we know better and refuse to follow -when we want things our own way and are too stubborn to give in Ask the children: How do we fix our spiritual heart after it has been hardened? Brainstorm together and make a list with their answers. Discuss. Then remind the children of the message statement. Coat Hanger Activity Zacchaeus was able to change because he recognized in Jesus a chance for him to change. We need Jesus to change us. Use a metal coat hanger to demonstrate this to the students (plastic will not work!). Say to the students, Every time we sin, it is like we are being bent like this coat hanger. Name several different sins that would be specific to your student s lives, bending the hanger each time. Then give the hanger to one of the students and allow them to try and bend it back to its original shape. They won t be able to get it exactly right again. Explain to the children that this is like our own spiritual lives we cannot get rid of our sin without Jesus. We have to be changed by Him. He is the only one who can truly change our hearts completely. 3

4 Activity Ideas Continued Discrimination Exercise As we learned in today s story, Jesus did not discriminate against Zacchaeus because he was not well liked due to his profession. How would you have done if you were in the same situation as Jesus? Would you go over to Zacchaeus home and befriend him? Give each student a discrimination handout (see attached at the end of this lesson plan). Have them read the scenarios (or read them together) and then select the answer that best matches what THEY would do. Discuss together as a group the following questions: o As you answered the questions did you find that you had any discriminatory thoughts about these types of people? o Out of the 3 groups were there certain types of people that you would be more willing to talk with or those that you would quickly dismiss? Why? o How would your behavior toward these groups of people measure up to how Jesus would treat them? (Hint: Think about the story of Zacchaeus.) Journal Reflection Questions - What characteristics do you admire most about the Lord Jesus? Why? What do you think needs to change in your own heart in order to be more like Him? Write about it. - Why do you believe that it is important for you to strive to be more like Jesus each day? Write about it. Homework Ideas - Read: Matthew 18:12-14 about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. - Learn the Memory Verse: My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. --John 10:27 - Work on memorizing Article of Faith #. - Have you ever lost anything that was really important or special to you? What did you lose? How did you feel when it became lost? What did you do to find what you lost? Did you ever find it? Write about it and be ready to share next week in class. Other Resources Old Testament Lesson 256 Support Curriculum (Also, see teacher curriculum for other activity ideas related to this lesson.) 4

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6 Discrimination Handout Read the scenarios below and then select the answer that best matches what you would do. While sitting in the lunch room at school, the new kid walks in looking for a place to sit and eat. He wears bright red glasses and his clothes are not exactly stylish. What do you do? A) Quickly look the other way and pretend you didn't see him. B) Roll your eyes as you laugh with your friends and wonder why anyone in their right mind would wear such clothes. C) Wave to him and offer him a seat at your table. Then, start a conversation to make him feel welcome and at ease. D) Offer him a seat at your table but then quickly eat and leave without saying too much. A friend at church introduces you to a guest that he has been testifying to for a number of months. The guest is still pretty rough around the edges. Your friend asks if you would like to join the both of them for pizza after the church service. What do you do? A) Politely excuse yourself and move to a different seat. B) Inform the guest that his behavior is offending and you won't be seen hanging out with people like that. C) Do your duty and sit with them during the service, but then avoid future contact. D) Gladly accept the offer to meet them for lunch and try to make the visitor feel welcome. Someone of another faith moves into your neighborhood and is very vocal about their religious beliefs. What do you do? A) Shout them down in a militant manner when you enter into spiritual discussions. B) Ignore the new neighbor or make small talk about the weather, as you don't want to get into a spiritual debate. C) Do your homework on how best to testify to people who practice other religions and then make an attempt to share the gospel with your neighbor. D) Freak out and worry yourself silly about what to say if the new neighbor invites you to his church. 6