What do Jesus' encounters with others reveal about his attitude and mission?
The encounters of Jesus with others: Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage, the rich young man, and Zacchaeus, and what they reveal about faith, wealth and repentance.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the encounters of Jesus in Unit 3. Covers the healing of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the haemorrhage, the rich young man, and Zacchaeus the tax collector, and what these encounters reveal about faith, wealth, repentance and the mission of Jesus.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to explain what Jesus' encounters with others reveal about his attitude and mission: the healing of Jairus' daughter and the woman with the haemorrhage, the rich young man, and Zacchaeus the tax collector. CCEA examiners reward precise knowledge of each encounter and an understanding of the lesson it teaches, about faith, about wealth, and about repentance. The strongest answers explain what each meeting shows about who Jesus is and what he came to do.
Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage
The two stories together show that Jesus responds to faith, whether from a respected leader or an unnamed, ritually unclean woman, and that no situation, not even death, is beyond his power.
The rich young man
A rich young man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments, which he had done, and then to sell his possessions, give to the poor and follow him. The man went away sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus then said it is hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God, harder than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. This encounter reveals that wealth can be a barrier to following Jesus when a person loves it more than God.
Zacchaeus
By contrast, Zacchaeus, a wealthy and despised tax collector, climbed a tree to see Jesus. Jesus called him by name and invited himself to his house, shocking the crowd who saw Zacchaeus as a sinner. The meeting changed Zacchaeus, who promised to give half his goods to the poor and to repay four times over anyone he had cheated. Jesus declared, "Today salvation has come to this house," and said the Son of Man came "to seek and to save the lost." This encounter reveals Jesus' welcome for outcasts and the power of repentance.
What the encounters reveal
Placed side by side, the encounters reveal a consistent picture of Jesus. He values faith above status, as in the woman and Jairus. He warns that wealth is dangerous when it comes first, as with the rich young man, yet shows it can be used well by the repentant, as with Zacchaeus. Above all they reveal his mission to reach the sick, the unclean and the outcast.
How to answer a question on the encounters
A model paragraph from this method: "The encounter with the rich young man reveals that wealth can be a barrier to following Jesus. The man had kept the commandments, but when Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor, he went away sad because he was rich. Jesus then said it is harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, showing how dangerous it is to love wealth more than God." This scores well because each point is explained.
Try this
Q1. What did Jesus say to the woman who touched his cloak? [2 marks]
- Cue. "Your faith has healed you", showing that her faith was the reason she was cured.
Q2. Why did the rich young man go away sad? [2 marks]
- Cue. Jesus told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor, but he was very wealthy and would not.
Q3. How did Zacchaeus show his repentance? [2 marks]
- Cue. He promised to give half his goods to the poor and to repay anyone he had cheated four times over.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 3 (style)5 marksExplain what the encounter with Zacchaeus reveals about the attitude of Jesus.Show worked answer →
A five-mark AO1 question. Give two or three developed points.
Reaching the outcast: Jesus called Zacchaeus, a hated tax collector, by name and invited himself to his house, showing he welcomed those others rejected.
Repentance and change: Zacchaeus promised to give half his goods to the poor and to repay anyone he had cheated four times over, showing that meeting Jesus led to a changed life.
The mission of Jesus: Jesus said he came "to seek and to save the lost", revealing that his mission was for sinners, not only the respectable.
Develop each point with its meaning. Two or three explained points reach the top of the band.
CCEA Unit 3 (style)10 marks'Wealth is the biggest barrier to following Jesus.' Consider different points of view.Show worked answer →
A ten-mark AO2 evaluation question. Give different points of view, refer to the statement and judge.
Agree: the rich young man went away sad because he would not give up his wealth, and Jesus said it is hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom, "harder than a camel through the eye of a needle".
Other views: Zacchaeus was also rich yet gave generously and followed Jesus, so wealth is not an absolute barrier; pride, fear or other attachments can be just as great. The issue is what someone puts first.
Judgement: argue that the real barrier is loving wealth more than God, so wealth is dangerous but can be used well, as Zacchaeus showed. A balanced judgement that refers to the statement reaches the top level.
Related dot points
- The identity of Jesus: his baptism, the temptations, the titles Son of God, Son of Man and Messiah, Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi and the Transfiguration.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the identity of Jesus in Unit 3. Covers the baptism, the temptations in the wilderness, the titles Son of God, Son of Man and Messiah, Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi, and the Transfiguration, and how they reveal Jesus as both human and divine.
- The teaching of Jesus: the Kingdom of God in parables such as the Sower and the Mustard Seed, and teaching on forgiveness through the parables of the Lost Son and the Unforgiving Servant.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the teaching of Jesus in Unit 3. Covers the Kingdom of God in the parables of the Sower and the Mustard Seed, and Jesus' teaching on forgiveness through the Lost Son and the Unforgiving Servant, and what they reveal about God and how people should live.
- The death of Jesus: the Last Supper, Gethsemane, the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the crucifixion, and Christian beliefs about salvation and sacrifice.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the death of Jesus in Unit 3. Covers the Last Supper, the agony in Gethsemane, the trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate, the crucifixion and the words from the cross, and Christian beliefs about salvation, sacrifice and atonement.
- The resurrection of Jesus: the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus, the ascension, and Christian beliefs about life after death and the significance of the resurrection.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to the resurrection of Jesus in Unit 3. Covers the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Jesus to Mary Magdalene and the disciples, the ascension, and Christian beliefs about the significance of the resurrection and life after death.
- The Christian Church: forms of worship, the festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, and the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion.
A focused CCEA GCSE Religious Studies guide to Christian worship and festivals in Unit 3. Covers liturgical and non-liturgical worship, prayer, the festivals of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost, and the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion, and their meaning for Christians.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Religious Studies specification — CCEA (2017)