The Little Man Whose Heart Grew Big: Meeting Zacchaeus

A Story About Zacchaeus — and the People Around Him

Today I want to share a story about what happened when Jesus met a man named Zacchaeus. But it's also a story about the people around Zacchaeus. I wonder what you can see in their faces as this story unfolds.

The story is called The Little Man Whose Heart Grew Big, written and illustrated by Steph Williams and published by The Good Book Company.

Little on the Outside, Little on the Inside

Zacchaeus was a little bit little. He had little arms and little legs — but a very big pile of money. Where did he get all that money?

It wasn't really all his money. His job was to collect people's money, but he took too much. Nobody liked that. Nobody liked Zacchaeus.

You see, Zacchaeus wasn't just little on the outside. He had a little heart too, with no love in it for other people or for God.

But something big was about to happen to little Zacchaeus.

Up in the Tree

Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but everyone was in the way. So he ran as fast as his little legs could run, and he climbed as high as his little arms could reach — right up into a tree, right where Jesus was coming, right where Jesus was.

Jesus stopped and looked at Zacchaeus and then spoke to him:

"I want to come to your house."

Wow. Nobody ever wanted to come to Zacchaeus's house. Nobody liked Zacchaeus.

A Heart That Grew

Zacchaeus's heart jumped — and maybe grew just a little. He smiled. Everyone else was not smiling. Maybe their hearts were just too small.

"How can Jesus be friends with him?" they said.

And then little Zacchaeus made a very big change. His little heart grew big.

"I am going to share my money and give back all the money I took — and more."

And Jesus said:

"Today, God has forgiven Zacchaeus. He is friends with God — because anyone, even someone like Zacchaeus, can become God's friend. For I came to find and save people whose hearts are small. I came to help people who are not friends with God and make a way that they can become friends with him."

Something to Wonder About

Look at the faces of the people standing behind Zacchaeus at the end of the story. I wonder what they are thinking and feeling. What do you think?

Sometimes we are Zacchaeus — the one whose heart needs to grow. And sometimes we are the people in the crowd, struggling to accept that Jesus's love and friendship extend to everyone, even those we think don't deserve it. The good news is that Jesus came to find and save all of us whose hearts are small, and to make a way for each of us to become friends with God.