"Quick!" said Ruth to her brother Luke. "We've got to help Uncle Reuben."
"Oh no!" said Luke, munching on a falafel. "This is going to be painful. I just know it."
Ruth handed her brother a long stick and said, "Follow me!" She ran from the house and Luke hopped after her, fighting to get his sandals onto the right feet.
"But where are we going?" he called out, finally securing his footwear. "And what are the sticks for?"
"You'll see!" she shouted back as she sped up the hill towards Jericho. The two children were always rushing out to help Uncle Reuben. He was the local administrator and that meant if ever there was any trouble, he had to sort it out, and there was certainly trouble this morning.
Ruth and Luke raced through the streets of Jericho until....
"Aaargh!" They crashed, sliding into a large crowd of people, all of them seemingly fighting with each other.
"Ouch!" said Luke as an old lady started to bash him on the head with a watermelon.
"Sorry!" said Ruth to the lady and pulled her brother to the ground. They began to frantically crawl between the legs of the crowd.
"Ouch! Ooh! Ouch!" said Luke as people kept missing Ruth but treading on him. "I knew this would be painful."
Finally they crawled out from the crowd at the base of a large, gnarled sycamore tree. The tree was nearly forty feet high with a short trunk and spreading branches.
Uncle Reuben was standing at the foot of the tree, scratching his hairy chin and looking up into the branches.
"What's the problem, Uncle?" asked Luke, feeling bruised but wondering what all the panic was about.
"He's the matter," said Reuben, pointing up into the tree.
There perched in the branches was a man. He was short, podgy and far too old to be climbing trees.
"He's refusing to come down! He says he's going to stay there to get a better look."
"We've brought sticks," said Ruth helpfully. "We could get him down with these."
Their Uncle looked down at them, shaking his head.
"No!" he said. "I don't think that would be very kind, and, besides, I've tried everything. I've tried reasoning with him. I've tried shaking the branches. I've even tried climbing up to get him, but I just can't budge him. It'll take a miracle to get him out of that tree."
At that moment, the crowd cheered as a man walked along the road. But instead of walking past, he turned to the tree. The crowd parted. He was serene and calm. He looked up into the branches and said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
Instantly, and without the slightest grumble, Zacchaeus climbed down from the branches and embraced the man.
"Wow!" said Luke, amazed at how easily the man had got Zacchaeus out of the tree. "That was a miracle!"
"You bet!" whispered their Uncle as Zacchaeus and the man walked off into the crowd. "That was Jesus, and he's the world's greatest miracle."
THINK!
Why do you think Zacchaeus didn't want to come down from the tree? Would you wait up a tree to see Jesus? Does God sometimes expect us to do things that other people might not like?
REMEMBER
You can wait for Jesus anywhere!
A VERSE TO LEARN
Jesus said: "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33 - NIV).
LET'S PRAY
****************************************************
Dear Lord, help me me not to be afraid
when people are unkind to me
because I believe in You.
Please teach me to hear Your voice
above the shouts of the crowd
and to be brave enough to follow you anywhere.
In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
****************************************************
CAN YOU FIND THIS STORY IN THE BIBLE?
Luke, chapter 19, verses 1-10
BIBLE STORY ARCHIVE
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Used by permission. Copyright © 2008 by Steve Wilson.
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More Resources To Go Along with the Story
************
JUST FOR FUNPack of 25 Zacchaeus Postcards with Bible story reference
Fill in the Blanks
Activities (Requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Zacchaeus Bookmark
Zacchaeus Puppet Skit
Zacchaeus Readers Theater
Color Zaccheus in the Tree
Jesus Forgives Me Coloring Book:
A Read-to-Me Bible Story Coloring Books About Jesus and Zacchaeus (Shirley Dobson)
Christian Coloring Books
Coins to Print
Put Zaccheus in the tree by using the next two together.
Tree Craft
Zaccheus
Up the Sycamore Tree (Pencil Fun Books)
Zaccheus Puzzle Time
A Treasury Of New Testament Stories:
The Stories Of Jesus, Mary, The Good Samaritan, Zacchaeus, And Many Others (Ideals Publications)
Zaccheus Meets Jesus (Happy Day Books)
Jesus and the Man in the Tree
Out on a Limb: Zacchaeus
Saving Zacchaeus
Story of Zaccheus in the Bible
The Story of Zacchaeus Up a Tree
Too Tall, Too Small:
Luke 19:1-10: Zacchaeus (Hear Me Read)
Zacchaeus
Zacchaeus (Arch Books)
Zacchaeus & the Happy Day
Zaccheus Climbs A Tree
Zaccheus
Zaccheus the Tax Collector
Action Bible Songs (Cedarmont Kids)
Bible Songs
Christian Songs for Children
Zacchaeus (with Guitar Chords)
Zaccheus (The Donut Man)
If you don't hear the music, make sure you have RealAudio Player installed.
************
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERSTape Zacchaeus to the Tree Game
Lesson Plans
Zacchaeus Hurry Down
Educational Patterns Lesson Plans
The Conversion of Zaccheus by George Whitefield (1717-1770)
Too Small to Ignore: Why Children Are the Next Big Thing
Zacchaeus (Bible Encyclopedia)
Zacchaeus, A Little Man Who Made It Big (PowerPoint Slide Masters)
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