Luke 19:1-10 (ESV)
He entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. [3] And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. [4] So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. [5] And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." [6] So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it, they all h grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." [8] And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." [9] And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. [10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Questions for Reflection
1. Why do you think people pay attention to gossip and rumors?
2. Who are the despised and disrespected people in our society today?
3. Why did the crowds begin to mutter and gossip among themselves?
4. What changes did Zacchaeus make in his life in response to Jesus’ interest in him?
5. How had salvation come to Zacchaeus’ house?
6. If we want to share our faith with someone, how much attention should we pay to their status and reputation?
7. What’s wrong with gossiping?
8. What responsibility do we have to help people of bad reputation?
9. What do the actions of Zacchaeus reveal about the power of God to change hearts?
10. How can we guard against the temptation to judge others?
