Character Needed - Bible Sketches 30

CHARACTER NEEDED – BIBLE SKETCHES

Character Needed, by Robert Allen, published by Regular Baptist Press, includes 33 skits illustrating the truths of each of the verses in Proverbs 15.  These Character Needed – Bible Sketches are designed to accompany those contemporary plays, illustrating the same character traits by use of a Bible story.  

CHARACTER NEEDED

   

ZACCHAEUS

Proverbs 15:30

Luke 19:1-10

Character Trait:  Kindness

Cast of Characters

                        Narrator

                        Javan

                        Sarah

                        Zacchaeus

                        Jesus

NARRATOR:             Jericho lay on the caravan route between the east and the west and Zacchaeus was a customs official in that important city.  He had to inspect every shipment that came through town and decide how much tax must be paid on it.  Part of every tax collection belonged to him, but the rest belonged to the Roman government.  People didn’t like him because he worked for the Romans.  And they didn’t like him because they didn’t like to pay taxes.  But they made fun on him because he was short.  That made him mad, but he got back at them by raising their taxes.

JAVAN:                      What do you mean taxing me that much on my spices?

SARAH:                     How can we afford to buy silk if we have to pay such huge taxes on every piece we buy?

ZACCHAEUS:          Oh, go away and leave me alone.

NARRATOR:             Zacchaeus was lonely.  In spite of living in the big city, in spite of the fact that everyone knew him, he was lonely.  One day as he was working he heard a great commotion in the street.

ZACCHAEUS:          Who is it?  What’s going on?

JAVAN:                      It’s Jesus of Nazareth.  He’s coming to Jericho.  Maybe He’ll go a miracle like He did up in Cana of Galilee.

ZACCHAEUS:          Jesus?  I’ve heard of Him.  Oh, would I like to see Him.

NARRATOR:             So Zacchaeus stood on his tiptoes, but he couldn’t see over the crowd.  He was going to have to move closer.

ZACCHAEUS:          Excuse me.  May I get through?  I want to see Jesus.

SARAH:                     Don’t we all?  Who do you think you are?  Somebody special?

JAVAN:                      Go on and get your box. Shorty.  Maybe then you can see Him.

NARRATOR:             Zacchaeus pushed and shoved and even threatened people with higher taxes, but no one would let him through.  Then he had an idea.  Alongside the road was a big sycamore tree.  Quickly hitching up his robe, he started climbing and pretty soon he was perched like a bird on the biggest limb that hung out over the road.  It was an ideal place to see Jesus, but it was also an ideal place to be seen.

JAVAN:                      Hey, look at the silly tax collector.  Now he thinks he’s a bird.

SARAH:                     How’s the weather up there, Shorty?

NARRATOR:             Zacchaeus could have cried.  All he wanted to do was see Jesus and now everyone was making fun of him.  He was just about ready to climb down and go home when the crowd stopped moving.  Jesus was standing right under the tree branch.  Zacchaeus held his breath. 

JESUS:                        Zacchaeus?

NARRATOR:             He knew his name.  Jesus knew his name.

JESUS:                        Zacchaeus, come down here.  I’m going to stay at your house today.

ZACCHAEUS:          At my house?  Why, of course.  I’ll be happy to have you stay with me.  And all your disciples too.  Yes!  I’ll be happy to have you.

NARRATOR:             Zacchaeus knew right away that Jesus was a person who wanted to be his friend.  And he wanted Jesus for a friend.  He wanted to do everything he could to please Him.  After supper that night he rose to make an announcement.

ZACCHAEUS:          Jesus, I have decided to give half of what I own to the poor people of Jericho.  And if I have taken anything from people by false charges on their taxes, I’m going to give them back four times as much as I have taken from them.

JESUS:                        Salvation has come to your house today, Zacchaeus.  You were lost in sin and didn’t even realize it.  But I came to earth to seek those who are lost and to save them.  Since you have accepted me as your friend and your Savior, you are no longer lost.  You belong to God’s family and will never need to be lonely again.

NARRATOR:             Some of the people didn’t think the change in Zacchaeus would last.  They were right there when he opened up his tax stand the next day.

ZACCHAEUS:          Come over here.  I want to give back the money I shouldn’t have taken from you.  I’m going to give you four times as much as I took.

JAVAN:                      You’re going to do what?

ZACCHAEUS:          Just what I said.  Here’s your money.

NARRATOR:             They didn’t understand at all what had happened to him.   But it was mighty hard to go on hating a man who was as kind as Zacchaeus was after that day.  If any man had been lost, it had been Zacchaeus, but Jesus had found him and that made all the difference.