Jesus and Zacchaeus

Jesus and Zacchaeus

Luke 19

Dear families,

“Zacchaeus was a wee little man…”

This line from a popular children’s song is lighthearted and catchy, but it can make Zacchaeus seem more innocent than he likely was. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector. In Jewish culture, a tax collector was the kind of person families warned their children about. People thought of tax collectors as thieves and extortionists—people who had betrayed the Jews to work with the Romans.

And yet, chief tax collector as he was, Zacchaeus became a conduit of one of Jesus’ most beautiful moments of mercy and grace.

Luke writes that Zacchaeus “was trying to see who Jesus was.” Something inside Zacchaeus was stirring, and he wanted answers. But the crowd blocked Zacchaeus’ view, so he did something about it: he climbed a sycamore tree. He put himself in a place to see Jesus more clearly.

Our spiritual lives often require similar action. We must learn to constantly position ourselves to see Jesus more clearly by leaning into Scripture and spending time alone with God. We make time for prayer and for fellowship with other believers who encourage and challenge us. We guard our hearts as we choose what content to consume. These disciplines don’t make Jesus love us more; they simply help us be in a better position to see and obey Him.

True obedience involves trusting Jesus and doing what He says. We don’t negotiate the terms. We move when He speaks. Our obedience becomes a blank check, already signed, ready for Him to fill in however He desires. That kind of surrender is where transformation begins.

This week, similar to how Zacchaeus climbed the tree, help put your kids in the best position to see Jesus so that He might lead them to repentance and transform their hearts.

Check out The Gospel Project At Home for resources designed to help you lead a family worship experience as well as suggestions for morning and evening prayer times and family activities.