Reading the Text
Luke 19:1-4 –Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich. 3He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there.
Luke 19:5 –When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. "Zacchaeus!" he said. "Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today."
Luke 19:6-7 –Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7But the crowds were displeased. "He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner," they grumbled.Luke 19:8 –Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!"
Luke 19:9-10 –Jesus responded, "Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. 10And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost."
Holy Bible. New Living Translation © 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Vocabulary
- Roman tax-collecting business:________________________________________
- Notorious:famous for something negative
- Salvation:being saved from something bad; the Biblical term referring to God saving people from the punishment of their wrongdoing.
- Son of Man:A name Jesus used for Himself more than any other name, quoting from the Old Testament. In the book of Daniel 7:13, the “Son of Man” is seen as a person with sovereign (divine or supernatural) authority, a messianic figure (the Savior the Jews have been waiting for), and God’s Son
Taken from Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, IVP
Discussion Questions
- How do you think Zacchaeus felt when Jesus called him?
- Do you relate to Zacchaeus? If yes, how so?
- What do you think of Zachaeus’ response to Jesus?
- If you were Zacchaeus and Jesus noticed you among the crowd and called you by name, how would you respond?
- Take a moment to reflect on how you would like to respond to Jesus. Write that down.
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