This week's FHE lesson topic comes from the Come, Follow Me reading in Matthew 21–23, Mark 11, Luke 19–20, and John 12. Check out this week's Come, Follow Me study ideas on LDS Living for additional resources and suggestions.
Thought
“Christ tenderly told the Nephites, ‘I have commanded that none of you should go away.’ Peter had that powerful epiphany in Acts 10 when he declared, ‘God hath shewed me that I should not call any [person] common or unclean.’ It is an unwavering requirement of Christian disciples and Latter-day Saints to show true love to one another. Jesus extends the same kind of invitation to us that He did to Zacchaeus: ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if [you] hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to [you], and will sup with [you], and [you] with me.’ Christ sees us in our tree.”
(Sharon Eubank, “Christ: The Light That Shines in Darkness,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019)
Scripture
“And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:9-10).
Lesson
Tell your family you need three volunteers to act out Luke 19:1–10. You will need the following characters: Jesus, Zacchaeus, and a narrator. You will also need a chair or stool to represent the sycamore tree that Zacchaeus climbs into. Have the narrator begin reading and have those portraying Jesus and Zacchaeus act out and read their parts as they come to them. After acting out Luke 19:1–10, discuss the following questions:
What kind of man was Zacchaeus? (Verses 2–4, 6–8) If Zacchaeus was a good man, why did the crowd of people call him a sinner? (Verse 7) What was Zacchaeus’s occupation? (Verse 2; see Bible Dictionary “Publicans,” 755) How might his occupation have led people to believe he was a bad man? What lesson can we learn from what Jesus did? (It’s not the occupation or job that is important but how we live our lives) What did Jesus teach Zacchaeus? What can we learn from this story? Do you suppose there were some who thought Zacchaeus was foolish for being so honest? Why is honesty such an important quality?
Discuss how Zacchaeus’s experience with Jesus might have been different if he hadn’t had an honest character. Challenge your family to remember the phrase, “It’s how you live.” Attach that statement to the refrigerator as a reminder to your family.
(Dennis H. Leavitt and Richard O. Christensen, Scripture Study for Latter-day Saint Families: The New Testament, [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2006])