The story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10) is one of the most familiar Bible stories told for kids. In Sunday school, Zacchaeus’ short stature often gets highlighted, with children invited to imagine themselves craning their necks or climbing a tree just to get a glimpse of someone important. That is a helpful starting place, but this story is much more than a tale about a “wee little man.” There are deep themes at play here: justice, equity, law, restoration, belonging, community, hospitality, politics, and more! All of this is wrapped up in the radical love of Jesus which challenges, embraces, and changes not only Zacchaeus but the whole community around him as well.
Are children old enough to handle all of these subjects? Some of these topics can be challenging even for adults! When teaching the Zacchaeus story for kids, we discover how even young children can grasp themes of generosity, courage, and reconciliation. But how do we do this?
Encountering the Story First
The first step for me is always to encounter the story myself. Before I even think about how I’ll tell it to children, I let the story tell me something.
This time, reading about Zacchaeus hit me differently. Our current political climate has caused massive breaks in relationships and communities. Polarized viewpoints have turned friends into enemies, and removed our ability to communicate with one another, let alone love one another. This isn’t new, is it? Zacchaeus lived this too. He was a Jew working for the Romans, seen as a traitor and a sellout to his community’s deepest values. Their response was to ostracize him, call him names, and demonize him. He had earned their scorn and deserved their hate, or so they thought.
But Jesus does something different. He calls Zacchaeus down and invites himself into his home. And that changes everything. Hospitality does that, doesn’t it? When we share food, step into someone’s safe space, smell their cooking, notice their family photos, we can no longer pretend they’re just “the other.” We see their humanity and are softened by love. Or, in more challenging situations we’re confronted with our own pain, anger and hurt that blinds us and are reminded of the love and healing we need in our own hearts.
Jesus models an approach that I think we all need to take. Come down, get off your high horse, step into one another’s worlds, and love one another. Love transforms. Love heals. Love restores.
Why This Matters for Children
When I study like this, my own heart changes. I hear God’s voice. My posture softens. My vision clears. And that matters because if the story has not lived in me first, it will not live in the way I tell it to children.
Of course, children don’t need the full weight of news headlines and fractured communities in order to encounter God’s story. But they do need me to speak words that are alive in my own heart!
Selecting Themes Relevant for Children
After studying, my task as a teacher is to choose which themes to share with them that connect with their development and their lived experience. Perhaps one day I’ll write a blog about developmental stages and themes of importance but to be honest there are better authors than myself. Check out Meredith Miller’s resources or her book “Woven: Nurturing a Faith that Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal from” as a starting point.
Telling the Zaccaheus Story
Then I prepare to tell the story. My ministry time with children usually has three simple parts: tell the story, do an activity, and invite almost constant conversation. That rhythm may sound ordinary, but here’s where my approach is a little different:
I don’t typically tell a story only once. Instead, we stay with one story for an entire month.
Fifteen years ago I discovered the power of repetition, and it changed everything. Each week we tell the same story in a new creative way. When I first started this I thought kids would be bored but it was the complete opposite. They asked more questions, got more excited, noticed more details, felt a sense of mastery with story details and began feeling a sense of ownership in their learning experience.
It’s like a version of Lectio Divina for children: reading again and again, asking What is God saying? What am I noticing? How do I respond?
I am aiming to build a lifelong love of scripture.
Teaching the story multiple times also lets us explore multiple angles. In the Zacchaeus story for kids we can explore the theme of justice one week, hospitality another and then throw in some political history too! There really is so much to explore! We use storybooks, videos, reader’s theatre and more. One of my favourite storybooks that tells this story for young children is from the series “Read Aloud Bible Stories” by Ella Lindvall (Volume 1).
Activities That Make Zacchaeus Story Real for Kids
After storytelling, we move into what I call “God’s Story in Action.” These aren’t just cut and paste crafts or another story themed game of tag to pass time or keep kids busy. Instead, I ask:
- What part of the story do I want children to experience or think about in a new way?
- How could they become participants (not passive audience members) in this story scene or theme?
- How does the activity welcome their voices, imagination, questions or thoughts?
- How can I increase their knowledge to better understand the story? A deeper understanding helps us enjoy something!
- What topics are age appropriate and how does this theme relate to their own life?
- How can I model and display God’s presence in the story through my interactions in each activity?
With Zacchaeus, here are some activities I started with:
- The Power of Names: Zacchaeus’ name means “innocent” or “pure,” the opposite of what people thought of him. I developed art projects around their own names, exploring how God sees them and how they can speak to others.
- Abundant Love: God’s love is more than enough. It stretches beyond margins and isn’t worn thin by dark and difficult spaces. There is enough for everyone and when you encounter it, it’s oh so good. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to bake a giant treat.
- A Tax Collector Game: A playful simulation helped children understand the unfair systems Zacchaeus was part of, deepening contextual understanding and sparking conversations about justice.
See where I’m going with this? How does the activity help us enter into the story. I’m not doing rote memory, I’m not making cheesy crafts (although I did decide on one classic craft that kids really do love). I’m trying to make the story come to life from a variety of perspectives all while keeping it all on a child’s level. In total I came up with 10 ways we can enter into the narrative.
Small Shifts in Classroom Culture
The Zacchaeus story also inspired some conversation for how we will actively live out the story in our classrooms during the month:
- Greet every child by name at the door.
- Use a buddy system to better embrace kids on the margins.
- Set expectations for kindness and sportsmanship in games.
Small classroom shifts can bring the Zacchaeus story for kids to life in ways that model love and hospitality.
The Fruit of This Approach
On the surface, our class might look like any other kids’ ministry: kids laughing, moving, playing, making noise. But something deeper happens too.
- Kids feel safe enough to share their honest thoughts, silly and serious, playful and profound.
- Parents tell me their children beg to come to church and don’t want to miss a week.
- Kids hold onto their art projects and talk about our activities for weeks, months or years.
- I see wide eyes when kids experience a “wow” moment or new discovery in the story
These are clues that tell me the story has come alive.
Final Reflections
Exploring the story of Zacchaeus with children reminds us that God’s story is alive at every age. As kids climb to see Jesus, hear him call their name, and come down to share what they’ve received, they practice hospitality, generosity, courage, and love.
Sometimes it feels that the depth of challenges we face in the world today seems insurmountable with polarization making moments of connection near impossible. But the truth is, wide scale change is only possible when we live differently in our own small spaces. Hanging with kids in church is one meaningful space we can model Christ-like care and connection and hope that it spreads from there.
For those who want to bring this story to life with children, I’ve packaged 10 activities and lessons for you to use. The hours of preparation have already been done, so you can focus on engaging the kids and helping them encounter God’s incredible story in their own lives. Check out the Zacchaeus Children’s Ministry Activity Kit here.
Leave a Reply