Lindal and Marton School

This morning I went to do the assembly at Lindal and Marton School.  It was the first visit of the new school year so I asked the children some questions about new things, such as who was new to the school, who had a new teacher, a new classroom, new school uniform etc.  I then asked someone to tell me what the key word was 'new' of course.  I then explained that the story I had today was about a man who made a new start and the story is in the New Testament.  I started by saying the man was a liar, a thief and a cheat.  Plus he also worked for the Romans as a collector of tax's.  I did point out why the Romans were in his country and that collecting tax is not a bad thing as it helps to pay for things like in today's world it pays for education, healthcare etc.  So this man was a liar, a thief and a cheat who worked for the Romans collecting tax's he was also a short man - not very tall at all.  His name I said was Zacchaeus.  One day Jesus was passing through the town of Jericho where Zacchaeus lived and the crowds had gathered round to cheer Jesus on and listen to what he had to say.  I did ask if the children had ever been in a large crowd and asked if they got a bit frightened with everyone else pushing them about - I suggested the best place for them would be the front. Well Zacchaeus wanted to be at the front but because he was a liar, a thief and a cheat who worked for the Romans collecting tax's the crowd push him away.  Now Jericho I said had a wall round it and in the wall there were gates so to pass through the town Jesus entered through one gate and would leave through another gate - Zacchaeus knew this and knew which gate Jesus would leave by, so he ran on ahead of the crowd and climbed up into a tree and waited for Jesus to pass by that way he could see him.  Now Zacchaeus thought that being in the tree no-one would see him - wrong Jesus did and when he got to the tree asked him to come down as he wanted to go to his house for some food.  Well the crowd didn't like that at all they thought that Jesus should go to their house instead and not the house of a liar, a thief and a cheat who worked for the Romans collecting tax's.  As Jesus went with Zacchaeus the crowd gathered by the house and wanted to know what was going on, some tried to jump up at the window, others looked through the gaps in the door others listen at the door.  Then Jesus came out with Zacchaeus who looked round at the crowd and said sorry for what he had done and that he was going to give half of his wealth way to the poor and pay back 4 times the amount he had taken form people.  Jesus said that this day Zacchaeus had decided to make a fresh start - a new start.  After telling the story I explained that we should all try to make a new start when every we make a mistake or upset someone, if we say sorry then we can start a new.  Just like opening an exercise book on a new page.  To finish off we sang So Many Ways to Praise the Lord then I said a prayer.