Bible Story Skit: Small Man Big Change -Zacchaeus

Characters: (Sequence of appearance)

Zacchaeus

Ahong

Mingmei

Teacher

Roman official

Jesus

Total 4 men and 2 women

Time: Jesus’ time

Location: Jericho

Act: 4 scenes,4 settings, total 15 minutes 

............

Act 1

Scene:

School playground, slide, swing, ball. Children playing, a boy on one side.

Characters:

Zacchaeus (child, short)

Ahong (tall, loves to make fun of others)

Mingmei (female classmate, loves to play tricks on others)

Teacher (kind)

Music (school playground,kids playing)

(Curtain opens, Zacchaeus, Ahong, Mingmei enter)

Ahong (loudly): Come and play ball!

Mingmei: I’ll throw the ball, whoever catches it, throw it to me, 123, start!

Hide quickly!

Zacchaeus (whispering): Ahong, Mingmei, can I play with you?

Ahong: No, you are too short, you will not be able to catch it!

Mingmei: (laughing) Yes, Zacchaeus will not be able to catch it! He is so

short!

Zacchaeus (lowering his head): Forget about you not playing with me, can

you please stop making fun of me?

Ahong (laughing loudly): Haha, little bean sprout, you should find a flower

pot to stand on to grow taller!

Mingmei: Hahaha, Zacchaeus is so short, he cant see the blackboard! He

cant even touch the leaves when he jumps up, and he even has to tiptoe to

see the ball!

Zacchaeus (lowering his head, whispering): Why dont they always let me

play with them? I am just shorter, not an alien. (Retreat to a corner and pick

up a pen to write, the teacher comes on)

Teacher: Children, everyone line up and get ready to go to the library!

Ahong (laughing): Hahaha, Zacchaeus stands in front, so that we can see!

Teacher: (Walks to Zacchaeus) Zacchaeus, what are you doing? Come

and line up (Picks up the notebook Zacchaeus wrote). Wow, who taught

you this? Your math is so good. We will not learn this until junior high

school!

Zacchaeus: They don’t play with me, so I have to play with numbers by

myself!

Teacher: Zacchaeus, don’t be sad. You have to study hard. If you have

achievements in the future, no one will dare to bull you.

Zacchaeus: I...Okay, when I grow up, I will make you all look up to me!

(Clenches fist) One day...I will become very rich, very rich, so that you all

will come to me and flatter me!

(close the curtain)

--------------------

Act 2

Scene:

On the main road

Characters:

Roman officer (fierce)

Zacchaeus (adult, short)

Ahong

Mingmei (Jew, hates Zacchaeus)

Teacher (Jew, kind)

Music (Street Roman soldier walking,street people walking)

(Curtain opens, Roman officer, Zacchaeus enters with a money bag)

Roman officer (dignified): Zacchaeus, have you collected this months

taxes?

Zacchaeus (nods respectfully, in a flattering tone) Yes, sir, look, I have

collected them all.

Roman officer: Very good, you have performed very well and collected a lot

of taxes. We in Rome need Jews like you who are loyal to the emperor.

Remember, although you are not a Roman, if you continue to be loyal, we

will definitely protect your position where you are.

Zacchaeus (proud and a little scared): Oh, yes, thank you, sir, as long as

Rome supports me, no one will dare to disobey me!

Roman officer (coldly): We want your money, not your nonsense. If you are

short of money next time, dont blame us for being ruthless! (Roman officer

walks away with a swagger, Ahong and Mingmei come on)

Zacchaeus (coldly): Stop! Have you got your money? You are 3 days late

already.

Ahong (walks forward tremblingly): Mr. Zacchaeus, Please, my familys

harvest is not good this year, can you charge less?

Zacchaeus (looks at him with disdain): Haha,charge less? Mmm (Tilts his

head and pretends to be thinking) Hum, according to the regulations, you

have to pay two silver coins, but because you paid late today I have to

charge... four silver coins.

Ahong (horrified): What? ! You want to take away our meal money!

Zacchaeus (sneers): How about this, I can lend you money privately, but

when you have money, I need you to pay me back 4 times.

Mingmei (comes forward, angry): Zacchaeus! You only need to collect two

silver coins, why did you charge him more? We were classmates when we

were young? And we are all Jews!

Zacchaeus (indifferent): Oh, come on, When you were young, you only

laughed at me for being short. Now I want you to see how powerful I am. I

am also working for Rome. If you dont pay taxes, the Roman soldiers will

deal with you.

(Ahong and Mingmei grit their teeth, throw down the money and turn away)

Zacchaeus (looking at the money bag, talking to himself, with a helpless

and self-consoling tone): When I was a child, no one wanted to be friends

with me because I was short. Now I am a big tax collector with a big house

and a big carriage. Everyone should respect me. Now I have status and

money, why is there still no one who wants to be friends with me? (Voice

becomes smaller, tone becomes lonely, lights go dark)

Music (Zacchaeu sad, Roman soldier walking)

.......................

Act 3

Scene:

Country road, there is a big tree beside the road

Characters:

Jesus

Zacchaeus

Ahong

Mingmei

Teacher

Music (people surround Jesus, crowd walking)

(Curtain opens, voices are noisy, Ahong, Mingmei, and teacher rush to the

center of the stage excitedly)

Ahong (excited): Look, look! Its Jesus! Hes here!

Teacher (holding Ahongs hand): Its Jesus who made the blind see and the

lame walk!

Mingmei (raising her hands high, jumping): Jesus! Jesus! We love you!

(Jesus walks in slowly, and the crowd approaches and surrounds Him.)

(Zacchaeus enters, jumps up from behind the crowd to see)

Zacchaeus (anxious): Ah...ah...I cant see...(jumps) There are people in

front...(jumps higher, falls) Oh, Im just too short...(sad)

Ahong (turns back, sees Zacchaeus, smiles disdainfully): Ha! Zacchaeus,

you want to see Jesus too? He wont pay attention to bad people like you!

Mingmei (echoes): Yes, dont humiliate yourself, Jesus will never be friend

of people like you! (The two turn back to continue looking at Jesus,

Zacchaeus lowers his head)

Zacchaeus (talking to himself, crying): No one likes me...but I really..really

want to see Jesus...(raises his head, eyes light up) Thats right! Theres a

tree in front! If I climb up, I can see Him! (Zacchaeus turns and runs to the

"tree")

(Zacchaeus is on the "tree", Jesus walks under the tree and looks up at

him)

Jesus (gentle, with a smile): Zacchaeus, come down quickly! Today, I want

to stay at your house. (Zacchaeus is stunned, eyes wide open)

Ahong (surprised): What? ! What did He just say? Go to Zacchaeuss

house? ! Master, never!

Mingmei (angry): How can Jesus go to that kind of persons house?

Zacchaeus is a bad guy who cheated us out of money!

Teacher (shaking his head): We obey the law every day and offer sacrifices

on time, why doesnt Jesus come to our house?

Ahong (shaking his head, saying to the audience): Do you think Jesus got

the wrong person?

Zacchaeus (surprised): What...what? Jesus, you...are you talking about

me? You...you are willing to come to my house? You...do you know who I

am?

Jesus: (Nods) Mm, Zacchaeus, I know your name, and I also know the

emptiness and fear and desire in your heart. Zacchaeus, God loves you,

just like he loves everyone in the world.

Teacher: Jesus is God, He can do many miracles

Jesus (firm, gentle): Zacchaeus, I came here to find people like you. Today,

I will visit your home. (Turning to the crowd) You all should come to

Zacchaeuss home together. His has a big house and can accommodate

many people.

Ahong: Let’s go!

(Zacchaeus slowly comes down from the tree, Zacchaeus and Jesus walk

off the stage together, and the crowd follows behind, talking and following

them off the stage)

.............................

Act 4

Scene:

The feast at Zacchaeuss home ends

Characters:

Jesus

Zacchaeus

Ahong

Mingmei

Teacher

Music (people in Zacchaeus’s house eating,talking)

(The curtain opens, Jesus and Zacchaeus sit at the table, and others sit

beside them)

Jesus (gentle, looking into Zacchaeus eyes): Zacchaeus, thank you for

inviting me. Do you know from the moment I stepped into Jericho, I knew I

would come to your house today.

Zacchaeus (looking up, tears flashing): Jesus, you, you...how could you be

willing to come? No one wants to sit with me, they dont like me. To be

honest, I dont like myself either.

Jesus (warm and firm tone): Oh, Zacchaeus, do you really think money can

make you happy, but I know your heart has always been lonely, amI

correct?

Zacchaeus (trembling voice): Yes...I have a house, money, servants...but I

have no friends, no joy, every day I am afraid that someone will take

revenge on me, and I am also afraid that the Romans will no longer protect

me.

Jesus (putting his hand on Zacchaeus shoulder): Oh ,Zacchaeus my son,

you are a descendant of Abraham, you were not created to deceive others,

but to know God and become a child loved by God.

Zacchaeus (crying out, wiping tears and saying): Lord...I...I was really

wrong..I hope,I dont want to live like this anymore...

Jesus (smiled): Zacchaeus, you know? The Son of Man came to seek and

save those who are lost like you.

Zacchaeus (with a firm and excited tone): Lord! I have decided now to give

half of my property to the poor! If I have cheated anyone, I am willing to pay

him back four times!

Mingmei (surprised): What? What did he say? He wants to give half to the

poor? !

Ahong (unbelievable): Pay back four times? ! If he really does this, our

family will be well fed...

Teacher (touched, wiping tears): Jesus really can change people... Even

Zacchaeus has changed...

Ahong (bowing his head and repenting): I thought Jesus only loved

obedient people, but it turns out... He also loves Zacchaeus

Jesus (turning around to look at others): You all look down on Zacchaeus

because he had done many things wrong, but you have pride and hatred in

your heart, and you also need to repent.

Ahong (whispering): Please forgive me

Mingmei: We shouldnt be so bad to Zacchaeus, please forgive me

Jesus: Zacchaeus, this is great, God has always loved you, and today, you

have learned how to love others. Today, salvation has come to this family,

because he is also a descendant of Abraham for the Son of Man came to

seek and save the lost.

Teacher (nodding): He came, really for everyone...

Mingmei (whispering to Zacchaeus): Zacchaeus, Im sorry, I... I want to get

to know you again.

Ahong: Then, Zacchaeus... can we get to know each other again? Im

Ahong.

Zacchaeus: (shake hands with Ahong) Hello, Ahong. Lets start fresh, Im

honored to know you.

Jesus: God will accept anyone who is humble and repentant. Today,

salvation has come to this house, this family, Zacchaeus is saved, and

Zacchaeus has become a new person.

(Everyone sings "Jesus Loves Me, I Know" around Jesus, off the stage)

Music

-The End-

Written by Emily on June 29, 2025