LESSON 17: Jesus Who Seeks Us

(Luke 19:1–10)

A long time ago, Jesus was walking through a city called Jericho. Many people were crowded along the road. Everyone wanted to see Jesus or hear Him speak.

One of the people in the crowd was a man named Zacchaeus.
Zacchaeus was very rich, but not very liked. He was a chief tax collector, and tax collectors were known for taking extra money from people. So, most people didn’t like him at all.

But Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus!
There was a problem—he was very short and couldn’t see over the crowd.

So what did he do?
Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree! From there, he could see everything. He waited for Jesus to pass by.

When Jesus got to that tree, He looked up and said:

“Zacchaeus, come down right now! I must stay at your house today.”

Zacchaeus was shocked—but also very happy. He quickly came down and welcomed Jesus into his home.

People around were surprised. They whispered, “Why would Jesus go to a sinner’s house?”

But Zacchaeus was changed that day. He told Jesus,

“Lord, I will give half of my money to the poor. And if I cheated anyone, I will give them back four times more!”

Jesus smiled and said,

“Today salvation has come to this house.”

Zacchaeus’ story shows us how Jesus lovingly seeks out those who are lost, no matter who they are or what they have done. Just like Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see Jesus, we also must take small steps to grow closer to God—by praying, doing good, and being sorry for our mistakes. When Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus into his home, his heart changed. He became kind, generous, and honest. In the same way, when we invite Jesus into our hearts, He brings joy, peace, and new life to us and to our families. Jesus came into the world to seek and save the lost, and He is still searching for each one of us with love. If we open our hearts to Him, He will gladly come in and stay with us forever.