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Promise Keeper: A Child's Life of Jesus (THEY MET JESUS) (Volume 6)

By Katheryn Maddox Haddad

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1 ~ ZACCHEUS

Did you ever know anyone who no one liked? Maybe sometimes you feel like no one likes you. Well, no one liked Zaccheus.

When his friends in school found out he was smarter than they were, they quit being friends with him. He made them look dumb.

When he got grown, he was shorter than everyone else too. People made fun of him, and no one wanted to be seen with him.

Zaccheus tried to get a job as a banker or merchant. But no one would hire him because he was so smart and they were afraid he wotheir job from them.

Foreign Romans who ruled his country needed someone to collect tax money for them. People hated tax collectors. But nobody liked Zaccheus anyway, So, he became a tax collector.

One day he met Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector way up north at the other end of the country. They became good friends. Later Matthew became an apostle to Jesus.

When Jesus turned water to wine, Zaccheus wanted to learn how So he could make money selling this wine that cost him nothing. Matthew told him the power of miracles was not for sale.

Whenever Matthew went to Jerusalem for one of the three main religious gatherings at the Temple, Matthew would visit his friend Zaccheus.

Matthew told Zaccheus he quit his job as a tax collector So he could help Jesus teach people about God's love. But Zaccheus kept working and got richer and richer.

Matthew also told him that Jesus said we should give part of our pay to poor people. Then God would multiply that money in heaven for us when we get there. This sounded strange.

Finally, Jesus went to the city of Jericho where Zaccheus was living. Of course, Matthew was with him. There was a big parade in town welcoming the future king ~ Jesus.

Zaccheus was so short, he could not see Jesus over the crowd, So, he climbed a tree. Just then Jesus passed by, looked up into the tree, and told Zaccheus he would like to go home with him.

After getting to know Jesus in his home, Zaccheus saw that Jesus was not a mamby-pamby like he thought he would be. Zaccheus wanted to make Jesus happy, So, he decided to give most of his money away to help the poor.



THINK & DO

1. Do you sometimes feel as though no one likes you? Jesus will always like you no matter what. Forever and ever he will like you. He wants to be your forever friend.

2. Do you know someone no one likes. Smile at that person and see if they smile back. They may end up being your very best friend.

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