Year 4 Jesus: How does his treatment of outcasts speak to Christians today? worksheet

“Zacchaeus in the tree” is free to print, with no account. It is the first sheet in the Year 4 religious education unit “Jesus: How does his treatment of outcasts speak to Christians today?”, for children aged 8 to 9, and takes about 22 minutes.

Print it on A4. The child's pages come first; the answers, and what each wrong answer tells you, are on the grown-up page that follows. Weeks 13 to 18 of the year, 6 sheets in the unit.

Free sample · answers on the last page

Zacchaeus in the tree

Name: ____________ · Date: ____________
Year 4 · Religious education · about 22 minutes
Answers are on the grown-up page

Today I can tell the difference between an account and a parable, and explain why Jesus welcomed Zacchaeus.

A Look back3 min

1.
Christians read a holy book. Circle the holy book they read. Use the chain to help.
BibleTorahQur'an
2.
Circle the place where Christians often pray together.
a churcha sports halla library
3.
The compass shows N, E and W. Circle the direction opposite north.
SouthEastWest

B Watch me, then you4 min

Some stories are accounts of real events. Parables are stories Jesus made up to teach a lesson. Luke's Gospel tells how Jesus met Zacchaeus in Jericho.

Watch me

A parable is a story Jesus told to teach a lesson.

Luke says Jesus really met Zacchaeus in Jericho.

So it is an account of a real event, not a parable.

Now you

1.
Jesus told a story about a shepherd who finds a lost sheep, to teach how God cares. Which word fits this story? Circle one.
parableaccount

C Your turn8 min

Zacchaeus collected money for the Romans, so people in Jericho did not like him. When Jesus came to Jericho, Zacchaeus climbed a tree to see him. Jesus went to his house, and Zacchaeus changed his ways.

1.
Zacchaeus collected money for a group of rulers. Circle who they were.
the Romansthe people of Jerichothe Jewish temple
2.
Sort these stories. Write each one in the right column: Account or Parable.
Zacchaeus in JerichoThe Good SamaritanJesus calls Zacchaeus downThe lost sheep
Account Parable
3.
Put these events in order. Write 1 to 4 in the boxes.
1. Jesus says salvation has come to the house.
2. Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see over the crowd.
3. Zacchaeus offers to give money to the poor.
4. Jesus stops and calls Zacchaeus by name.
4.
Which gospel tells the story of Zacchaeus? Circle one.
MatthewLukeJohn

Say it out loud: Which clue helped you decide if a story is an account or a parable?

D Spot the mistake3 min

A tall sycamore tree with broad leaves beside a dusty road

Lou says: “The story of Zacchaeus is a parable, so it never really happened.”

1.
Write one sentence to explain why Lou is wrong.

E Think deeper4 min

1.
Explain in two sentences why Christians think Jesus welcoming Zacchaeus matters today.

How did it feel?

Think about how Zacchaeus might have felt when Jesus called his name. You may keep your thoughts private. Share one word with your grown-up if you want to.

I can do it Nearly Not yet

For the grown-up

Zacchaeus in the tree · 2 minutes to read

Answers, and what a wrong one tells you

A

1. Bible your child may have picked the Torah, which is the holy book of Jewish people. Ask who reads the Bible, then find the matching book.

2. a church If your child chose the library, ask what happens in a church on a Sunday. Christians meet there to worship and pray together.

3. South If your child chose East or West, ask which direction is across the compass from north. That direction is south.

B

1. parable If your child chose account, ask: did this happen to Jesus, or did Jesus tell it to teach a lesson?

C

1. the Romans If your child chose the people of Jericho, remind them that Zacchaeus handed money to the rulers of the Roman Empire, not to his neighbours.

2. Account: Zacchaeus in Jericho, Jesus calls Zacchaeus down · Parable: The Good Samaritan, The lost sheep If your child put Zacchaeus in the parable column, ask: did Jesus tell this story, or did it happen to Jesus?

3. 1 Zacchaeus climbs a tree to see over the crowd. · 2 Jesus stops and calls Zacchaeus by name. · 3 Zacchaeus offers to give money to the poor. · 4 Jesus says salvation has come to the house. If your child put the promise to give money first, ask: did Zacchaeus make his promise before or after Jesus came to his house?

4. Luke If your child chose Matthew or John, check the four gospels in the chain. The story is in Luke's Gospel.

D

1. Look for: Says the story is an account of a real man Jesus met, found in Luke's Gospel, so it is not a parable. If your child agrees with Lou, ask: did Jesus tell this story, or did it happen to him? Christians read it as a real event.

E

1. Look for: Says Jesus chose and ate with an outcast that others rejected, and links this to how Christians treat people today. If your child only retells the story, ask: who did others push away, and what did Jesus do instead?

Words to use

Say“How do you know this story is an account and not a parable? What clue tells you?”

Instead of“Tell them the answer to the chain and sort questions straight away.”

After the sheet

Tell a true story about a family photo, then read a made-up story from a bedtime book. Ask your child to sort them into real and made up.

Tick what your child got right in StudyDen. Anything missed comes back in a later Look back box, so there's no need to redo the sheet.

The rest of this unit

5 more sheets come with a StudyDen plan, in teaching order:

What Zacchaeus teaches us today(with a plan)
Walking towards the outsiders(with a plan)
Different ways to help(with a plan)
Jesus at the well(with a plan)
The woman at the well(with a plan)

Every Year 4 religious education worksheet

The worksheets plan opens a printable sheet for every lesson in Years 1 to 6, each with its answers on a separate page for you. It costs £6.99 a month or £59 a year for the whole family, with no free trial.

The full StudyDen plan adds the lessons themselves, marked as your child works, with the worksheets included. It is 7 days free, then £29.99 a month.

Get the worksheets Try the full plan free

Both start with a free account; you choose the plan when you sign up.