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Don’t Defy Change

March 5th, 2023

Luke 19:1-10

1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Read Luke 19:1-4

  1. From this passage, what do you know about Zacchaeus? What kind of person do you imagine him to be? Who in your life might be an “Zacchaeus kind of person?”
  2. The passage doesn’t really say, but what do you think was fueling Zacchaeus’ interest in Jesus? Why do you think he was curious about Jesus?

Read Luke 19:5-6

  1. What do you imagine the people following Jesus thought (and maybe even said) when they saw a short, wealthy tax collector up in the tree while Jesus was passing by? What do you think they expected Jesus to say to Zacchaeus as he made his way over to the tree Zacchaeus was in?
  2. What is significant about the fact that Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus by name?
  3. Why do you think Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus ‘gladly?’

Read Luke 19:7

  1. Even wonderful people can quickly become judgmental. Why is judgmentalism such an easy trap to fall into? How is judgmentalism a trap for you specifically? Whom do you tend to judge through judgmental eyes?
  2. What do you mutter about?

Read Luke 19:8-10

  1. What do you think prompted Zacchaeus to make such a radical change in his life?
  2. Think of an important change you have made (or are trying to make) in response to Jesus. What is your motivation? How is it going? Are you making progress?
  3. Verse 10 contains an amazing statement. How can you join Jesus in his mission to seek and to save the lost?