The Little Man in the Tree

In the town of Jericho lived a man named Zacchaeus. He had two problems:

1. He was really SHORT. 2. Nobody liked him because he was a tax collector who cheated people.

One day, Jesus came walking through Jericho! HUGE crowds gathered. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus SO badly, but he was too short to see over everyone's heads!

So Zacchaeus did something funny. He ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree! There he sat, waiting for Jesus to walk by.

When Jesus got to that tree, He stopped. He looked UP.

'Zacchaeus!' Jesus called. 'Come down! I'm coming to YOUR house today!'

Zacchaeus almost fell out of the tree! Jesus knew his NAME! Jesus wanted to visit HIM!

He scrambled down that tree as fast as he could.

The crowd grumbled. 'Why is Jesus going to THAT man's house? He's a cheater! A sinner!'

But something amazing happened to Zacchaeus. Being with Jesus changed his heart!

'Lord,' Zacchaeus said, 'I'm going to give HALF of everything I own to poor people! And anyone I've cheated—I'll pay them back FOUR TIMES as much!'

Jesus smiled. 'Today salvation has come to this house! I came to find and save lost people—just like Zacchaeus.'

Zacchaeus was lost and lonely. But Jesus found him, loved him, and changed him completely. Jesus can do the same for anyone!