Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man...

This past weekend our preschoolers learned about Zacchaeus as we started a new unit entitled “God Owns Everything.” They learned that not only did Zacchaeus climb a tree, but more importantly, Jesus changed his heart. The story highlighted that Zacchaeus was very wealthy, and that he loved money and wealth more than God and others. Jesus helped Zacchaeus see his sin, and the preschoolers learned that Jesus can help them see their sin too. To apply this story to preschoolers, the teachers explained how when children say “MINE” and don’t want to share, they are not remembering that God owns everything and God wants us to honor him with our wealth.

Be sure to check out the parent page that your preschooler brings home each week (or online) so that you know what they learned about in their class. I try to leave it out on the counter or on the kitchen table to review it with my daughter during the week. And, it may help to clarify exactly what the lesson was about! 

Here are a few examples of what some of our preschoolers told their parents about Zacchaeus:

            “Zacchaeus was a wee little man and all he said was please.”

            “Zacchaeus paid our taxes.”

One child told his parent that his sister needed to share with him like Zacchaeus.

            One child asked if she could go climb sycamore trees.

I asked my own daughter why Jesus told Zacchaeus to come down from the tree and she said because it was cold. I think she has been hearing that answer from me a lot lately . . . Put your coat on because it is cold, we can’t go outside because it is cold, you can’t wear your flip flops because it is cold.

What did your preschooler learn about Zacchaeus this week?

 - Betsy Zimmerman, Preschool Coordinator