Dirty hands, clean heart
Children's sermon
Object:
Good morning, boys and girls. What's the most fun you ever had
getting dirty? (Let them answer.) How many of you ever made mud
pies? (Show the mud pie and let them answer.) (OR,) When you were
finished getting dirty, how many of you cleaned yourself up and
finished with a rag looking this dirty? (Show the rag and let
them answer.)
This morning I want to tell you the story about a very old woman. This woman lived alone. She lived on the edge of town, where there were very few other neighbors. Since she lived alone, she didn't take a bath very often and she didn't wash her clothes very often. Some people thought she was dirty. She didn't have much money, so her house hadn't been painted for many years. Her car was older than most other cars. Even so, this old woman attended church every Sunday. She helped in the church in many ways. She made flower arrangements for the sanctuary on Sunday. She visited people in the church who were in the hospital. She helped in the church kitchen whenever there was a special church meal. One Sunday morning she even helped teach a Sunday school class when a teacher became ill at the last minute. This woman wasn't always clean but she always helped at church.
She reminds me of this morning's lesson. In the lesson some men were trying to find things wrong with Jesus. These men said that Jesus' disciples didn't clean themselves the way they should. Jesus became angry when he heard this. Jesus told these men, "Just because you wash your hands one way instead of another does not make you a clean person. You are a clean person when your heart is clean." Jesus knew that his enemies did not have clean hearts because they were making fun of him.
Here's what I want you to remember about today's lesson. It is important to clean up after we get dirty playing. Jesus wants us to know that there is something even more important than cleaning our hands. It is making sure that our hearts are clean. Our hearts are clean when we love others and are concerned for others. The old woman in my story wasn't always clean on the outside. She was clean on the inside. That's the way Jesus wants us to be -- clean on the inside.
This morning I want to tell you the story about a very old woman. This woman lived alone. She lived on the edge of town, where there were very few other neighbors. Since she lived alone, she didn't take a bath very often and she didn't wash her clothes very often. Some people thought she was dirty. She didn't have much money, so her house hadn't been painted for many years. Her car was older than most other cars. Even so, this old woman attended church every Sunday. She helped in the church in many ways. She made flower arrangements for the sanctuary on Sunday. She visited people in the church who were in the hospital. She helped in the church kitchen whenever there was a special church meal. One Sunday morning she even helped teach a Sunday school class when a teacher became ill at the last minute. This woman wasn't always clean but she always helped at church.
She reminds me of this morning's lesson. In the lesson some men were trying to find things wrong with Jesus. These men said that Jesus' disciples didn't clean themselves the way they should. Jesus became angry when he heard this. Jesus told these men, "Just because you wash your hands one way instead of another does not make you a clean person. You are a clean person when your heart is clean." Jesus knew that his enemies did not have clean hearts because they were making fun of him.
Here's what I want you to remember about today's lesson. It is important to clean up after we get dirty playing. Jesus wants us to know that there is something even more important than cleaning our hands. It is making sure that our hearts are clean. Our hearts are clean when we love others and are concerned for others. The old woman in my story wasn't always clean on the outside. She was clean on the inside. That's the way Jesus wants us to be -- clean on the inside.
