A Children’s Sermon on Luke 19:1-10 — Zacchaeus

Preface for Pastors and Parents

Writing a children’s sermon on Luke 19:1-10 brings back a very particular memory. Back in seminary, in my very first (actually my only) preaching class this was the text everyone had to use for their very first sermon. He must have gotten so tired of hearing our brilliant insights into Zacchaeus.

I have no recollection of what I said in that sermon. But I know what fascinates me about the story years later.

You can let me know whether this children’s sermon on Luke 19:1-10 brings out what you see as important in the passage.

A Children’s Sermon on Luke 19:1-10

Good morning kids! I’m so glad to see you this morning. It’s great that you are here in worship. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon.

Our story from the Gospel this morning has something a lot of kids can relate to: One of the people is too short to see what’s happening. All the big people blocked his view. Here’s how I imagine it happening.

On the Road to Jericho

One day Jesus and his friends were walking down a road. At the very same time a man came walking toward them, coming the other way. When they met, they all stopped to talk.

“Hello!” said Jesus. “Where you coming from?”

“Hello!” said the man. “I’m from Jericho.”

“Aha!” said Jesus. “That’s exactly where we’re headed.”

“What?” asked Peter. “You never said we were going to Jericho.”

“Well, that’s where were going now,” Jesus said.

“Then you’re on the right road,” the man said. “Keep going another mile or two, around that bend, and it’ll be right in front of you. Whataya gonna do in Jericho?”

“I have a friend there,” Jesus said. “We’re staying at his place.”

“We are?” asked Peter. “What friend is that? I didn’t think you knew anybody in Jericho.”

”That’s a good question, Peter,” Jesus said. “I don’t know his name yet.”

“What?” said Peter. “How can he be your friend if you don’t know his name?”

“Oh I have lots of friends I haven’t met yet,” said Jesus. “I just know he’s lost. I need to find him.”

About Zacchaeus

Then Jesus turned to the man from Jericho. “Do you know anybody who’s lost in Jericho?”

The man laughed a little and said, “Maybe so. There’s this one fellow named Zacchaeus.”

“Tell me about Zacchaeus,” said Jesus.

“I’d say he’s lost — a lost cause,” the man said. “He’s made some really bad choices. Nobody likes him.”

“Why’s that?”

“He went to work for the Romans!” the man said, “He became a tax collector. So he takes his own people’s money and gives it to the Romans! Plus he’s short.”

“Whats wrong with being short?” Jesus asked.

“I don’t know,” said the man. “But he’s different from everybody else. And we don’t like him.”

Jesus said, “He sounds lonely. I bet he does feel lost.”

Then they walked on, the man going away from the city, and Jesus and his friends going toward it.

Meanwhile in Jericho…

Back at the gates to the city of Jericho, someone was looking far away down the road.

“Hey look!” he said. “A bunch of people are coming. I wonder who they are?”

Then some kids with a bit too much extra energy went running down the road to find out.

Pretty soon the kids came running back into town.

“It’s Jesus!” they said. They were so excited they ran and told their parents “Jesus is coming!”

Word spread fast. Pretty soon the whole town was crowding around the main entrance to the city. Everyone wanted to see Jesus.

Nobody told Zacchaeus, the tax collector, about Jesus coming. But he saw the crowds of people going past his office toward the city gate.

So Zacchaeus went out and asked some people what was happening. They just ignored him and kept walking.

So Zacchaeus went with the crowd.

Eventually he heard someone say “Jesus is coming! I can’t wait to see him! Maybe he’ll heal my brother.”

Zacchaeus thought, “I want to see Jesus too. I wish he could heal me from feeling so lonely.”

So Zacchaeus stood near the city gate with everyone else.

“Rats!” he thought “Everyone else is so much taller than me. How can I see Jesus?”

Then he noticed a Sycamore tree. There was a low branch, and Zacchaeus climbed onto it. Then he climbed a bit higher. Then a bit higher still. Now he was higher than the tallest person in the crowd. Then he shinnied out onto the branch till he was hanging right over the road.

“Now I’ll see everything!” he thought, smiling.

Jesus Arrives

Pretty soon Jesus and his friends were coming through the gate. When he got to the Sycamore tree he looked up. There on the branches was a little man looking very surprised.

Jesus smiled, his big brown eyes twinkling. “Hi Zacchaeus!” he called.

Zacchaeus almost fell off his branch. “How did you know my name?”

“Oh I know lots of things,” said Jesus. “I came to town to find you.”

“Me?” asked Zacchaeus.

“You,” said Jesus. “Could you come down and take me to your house? I need to talk with you. And my friends and I need a place to stay.”

“With me?” asked Zacchaeus. And he started to climb down.

“With him?” people were asking. “Why is Jesus going to Zacchaeus’ house? Nobody likes Zacchaeus!”

Later

But Jesus and his friends did go to Zacchaeus’ house, Jesus told him all about the kingdom of God and about following him.

Eventually Zacchaeus said, “Jesus I want to make you a promise. I am going to give half of everything I own to help the poor people. And if I’ve taken anything I wasn’t supposed to I’ll pay them back even more.”

“That’s wonderful, my friend,” Jesus said. Then he turned to everyone who was there and said, “I think somebody was saved today.”

Wondering

I wonder what Zacchaeus thought he was saved from?

I wonder what Zacchaeus did with the rest of his life?

I wonder how people in Jericho treated Zacchaeus after they saw how Jesus treated him?

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You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

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