Reason #5: Jesus Gives People a Second Chance

Do you remember, when you were little, how everything seemed so much bigger than you? Maybe you used a step stool to reach up to the kitchen bench to “help” with cooking, or had a ride on someone’s shoulders so you could see up ahead. Maybe you still feel like you’re not quite tall enough to do everything you’d like to!

Today we meet someone who was too short to see over a crowd, so he climbed a tree in order to see Jesus. That sounds like a fun option for a kid, but it may have looked a little STRANGE when a grown man did it!

Who invited Jesus to Zacchaeus’ house?

📚 The backstory: Zacchaeus was a tax collector. But he was even more despised than other tax collectors, because he was a CHIEF tax collector, and probably got rich by taking extra money that wasn’t his.

⁉️ Why Zacchaeus? Why did Jesus invite himself over to Zacchaeus’ house—not anyone else in that town? The answer is in verse 10. Zacchaeus had lost his way. He needed Jesus to find him, and show him the right way to live.

👀 Jesus notices: When other people looked at Zacchaeus, they saw a sinner who had stolen money to make himself rich. Jesus saw that too.

But Jesus looked beyond the bad things Zacchaeus had done—he saw the good person he could BECOME. Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was ready to change his ways. Most people wouldn’t befriend a tax collector, but Jesus showed him kindness and offered him a second chance. Zacchaeus accepted the opportunity to change, and it turned his life around completely!

💵 Kindness is catching: It must have been hard for Zacchaeus to admit his mistakes, and to give back what he had taken. But it seems like Jesus’ kindness rubbed off on Zacchaeus. He responded by giving back FOUR TIMES what he had stolen!

💡 Think about it: None of us deserve Jesus’ kindness, but in spite of our mistakes, he offers us the opportunity to change. He wants to be our friend and get to know us. How will we respond to the kindness he has shown us?

✏️ Prayer and picture prompt:

On a piece of paper, draw a cartoon of Jesus inviting himself over to your place. How will you respond to his kindness? One way would be to admit your mistakes and ask God to help you change.

Just like Zacchaeus, we can upgrade our lives by becoming a friend and follower of Jesus. If you have never asked Jesus to be your friend and Saviour, but you would like to, tell a trusted grownup.

？Want to discover even more reasons Jesus is amazing?

Get a copy of the interactive devotional The Greatest of All Time by Simona Piscioneri at thegoodbook.com/alltime.