Lesson Objective:
The children will learn that they need to show love to everyone, even those who are hard to love.
Scripture:
Luke 10:25-37
Arrival:
As the children arrive, greet them warmly. Have the word “Love” written on the board. Sing with the children, focusing on songs that deal with loving others and loving the Lord.
Prayer Time:
Pray that the children will learn how important loving each other is.
Lesson:
I want you to close your eyes for a minute and think of someone that you love. (Give the children a few minutes to think, then take responses). Good, you love your (mom, friend, brother). God wants us to love our (mom, friend, brother). These are all good answers! God wants us to love all of those people. In fact, God wants us to love everyone, even the people we don’t feel like we love or even like!
Today I am going to tell you a story that Jesus told when He lived on earth. It was a parable, which is a story that has a special lesson from God for us to learn.
Once there was a Jewish man who was taking a journey. On his way, he was attacked by thieves. They beat him badly, stole his things and clothes, and then left him for dead on the side of the road.
After some time passed, a priest passed by. He saw the man, noticed he was hurt badly and needed help, but he kept walking. In fact, he crossed the road so he didn’t have to look at the man.
Now a priest is like a pastor. He was very important in the synagogue, which was the “church” of Jesus’ day. This man was teaching the scripture every day, but he did not show love.
Not long after a Levite, another religious leader, passed by. He also crossed the street and ignored the man. He didn’t show love.
Eventually, a Samaritan passed by on the road. Now, in Bible times Samaritans were the people who the Jews didn’t like. They didn’t worship God the way the Jews did, and the Jews hated them. In fact, the Jews hated them so much they would take several extra days to make a journey, just so they didn’t have to pass through the Samaritans’ land.
The hurt man was a Jew. The Samaritan had no reason to care about the Jewish man. After all, the Jewish man likely hated him, just because he was a Samaritan. But the Samaritan stopped. Not only did he help the man with his injuries, but he also put clothes on him and lifted him onto his donkey. He took the man to an inn, instructed the innkeeper to care for the man’s injuries, and left money to be used to care for the man.
Jesus asked, “who was a good neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” The obvious answer was the Samaritan. Even though he had no reason to love the Jewish man, he showed him love. Jesus told us, “Go and do likewise.”
We are supposed to love everyone in our lives, even the people who are not easy to love. Maybe you have a bully in your school. That person is hard to love, but if you notice they are having a problem with something, Jesus teaches you that you should show love.
(Finish the lesson by asking for ideas about how the students can show love to others, even those who are hard to love.)
Memory Verse:
Play Balloon Memory Verse using the words from I John 4:7-8. If your students know the words to the song from this verse, sing it with them.
Game/Craft:
Have the children color this picture: Good Samaritan Picture
Dismissal:
As the children leave, ask them to look for someone they can show love to that they normally would not like.