Luke 19:1-10; how Jesus changed Zacchaeus' life; lessons on repentance and restitution (2.2).
📖 5 min read · 3 worked examples · 6 practice questions
His name is Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector in the city of Jericho. A tax collector collects money from people to give to the government. Can you think of anyone like that in Kenya? That's right — people who work for the Kenya Revenue Authority, or KRA, do a similar job. Just like tax collectors in Kenya work for the government, Zacchaeus collected taxes for the Roman government. That made him not very popular with the people back then. Here are three things to remember about Zacchaeus: First, he was a chief tax collector in Jericho. Second, he was very short. Third, he really wanted to see Jesus. There was a big crowd around Jesus, and Zacchaeus couldn't see over everyone. What do you think he did? He climbed a sycamore tree! This story is from Luke 19 in the Bible. Let's turn to our Bibles and read the full story together. I think you're going to love what Jesus does when he sees Zacchaeus up in that tree!
It's about a man named Zacchaeus and how Jesus showed love to him, even when others judged him. Zacchaeus was a short man, so he climbed up that tree just to see Jesus. Can you picture that? It's like when you climb a mango tree to get a better view of a procession passing by. Then something amazing happened! Jesus looked up, saw Zacchaeus, and said, 'Come down, I must stay at your house today.' Think about that — Jesus didn't just walk past. He called Zacchaeus by name and wanted to spend time with him. That's how much love Jesus has for every person. The people around started grumbling. They said, 'He is going to eat with a sinner!' You see, Zacchaeus was a tax collector, and many people thought he was dishonest. They felt Jesus shouldn't be friends with someone like that. Someone in your village judges another person because of their past? Jesus didn't listen to the crowd. He showed kindness and mercy to Zacchaeus. Jesus knows that everyone makes mistakes, but He still loves them. It's like when your neighbour borrows your chicken and doesn't return it — you might be upset, but Jesus says we should forgive and show love instead. The big truth for today is this: Jesus loves everyone — even those others might look down on. Whether you're tall or short, rich or poor, popular or not, Jesus calls you by name and wants to be your friend. Isn't that wonderful?
It's about a man named Zacchaeus. At the title of our lesson: 'A Changed Heart'. Zacchaeus had a heart that changed when he met Jesus. Let's read about Zacchaeus. After Jesus visited his house, Zacchaeus stood up and made a big promise. He said... He said, 'Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. If I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times the amount.' Wow! That is a big change. Why do you think he did that? Because he was truly sorry for his wrong actions. True repentance is not just saying sorry. It means doing something to make things right. For example, if you borrowed your neighbour's chicken and it got lost, true repentance would be to buy a new chicken for them, or even give them two chickens to say sorry. That is exactly what Zacchaeus did—he gave half his money to the poor and paid back four times anyone he cheated.
Repentance means turning away from wrong, and restitution means making things right. These two go together like two sides of a coin. First, repentance. When you do something wrong, you feel sorry in your heart. Repentance is more than just feeling sorry—it is a decision to stop doing that wrong. For example, if you took a pencil from your friend without asking, repentance means you decide you will not steal again. Next, restitution. This is where you actually fix the problem you caused. You can apologise, return what you took, or find a way to make up for the harm. It is not enough to just say sorry—you must also make things right. Here is an example from right here in Kenya. Imagine your neighbour lends you a chicken. While it is with you, the chicken gets lost. What should you do? You should replace that chicken. That is restitution—taking responsibility and making things fair again. Remember: repentance is turning away from wrong, and restitution is making things right. Let's talk about a time when you might need to do both.
This will help us understand repentance and restitution. Kamau cheated in a race and felt bad. That's the beginning of repentance – feeling wrong about what you did. First, Kamau admitted he cheated. That's repentance – confessing your sin. Then he apologised and let his friend win the next race. That's restitution – making things right. The lesson is: Jesus wants us to admit wrong and fix our mistakes, just like Zacchaeus did when he paid back the people he cheated.
Our second worked example. It's about taking something without permission. In this scenario, Achieng' saw Mary's pencil, took it without asking, and it broke. She felt very sorry. Step one is repentance. Achieng' must confess to Mary and say sorry. That is the first step to making things right. Step two is restitution. Achieng' gives Mary a new pencil to replace the one she took and broke. Our memory verse from Luke 19:8 reminds us: if we have cheated anyone, we should pay back. Achieng' does just that.
A worked example. This is about a boy named Otieno who told a lie. Otieno told his teacher that he did his homework, but he didn't. He feels guilty inside. Have you ever felt that way after telling a lie? The first step is repentance. Otieno decides to tell the teacher the truth. He says sorry and admits his mistake. Repentance means turning away from the wrong and coming back to what is right. The second step is restitution. Otieno does his homework during break time and promises not to lie again. Restitution means making things right. When we make mistakes, we should try to fix them. The big idea here is that Jesus forgives us when we mess up, just like Otieno's teacher forgave him. Jesus helps us become honest, just like Zacchaeus in the Bible. He changed from cheating to being honest. Think about it: what would you do if you were Otieno? Would you tell the truth?
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