Disagreement!
Children's sermon
Object: A collection of simple protest signs the children can wave in the air. The signs could say, “VANILLA”, “CHOCOLATE”, “WE ARE RIGHT!”, “STAY AWAY!”, “YOU ARE BLOCKED!”, or similar things.
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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Then I will start with a question.
What do you do when you disagree with someone? (Let them respond.) What do you do when you meet someone who doesn’t agree with something you believe in, or doesn’t like something that you like? (Let them respond.) People do different things when they disagree, don’t they? (Let them respond.)
One day, Jesus told his friends what God wanted them to do if they ever disagreed with someone.I want us to try something together and see if we can show what Jesus told them God wanted them to do when they disagreed. This will just be a silly example, but let’s see if it helps us understand what Jesus told his friends God wanted them to do.
How many of you like vanilla ice cream? (Let them respond.) Now, how many of you like chocolate ice cream? (Let them respond. If both sides are equal, ask a couple of the children to pretend to like the other flavor so you can continue.)
So, it looks like we disagree. Let’s see what people do when they disagree. Sometimes, they divide into groups, don’t they? (Let them respond as you have the children stand up and get into their two groups standing apart from each other.) And sometimes they won’t even talk to each other, will they? (Let them respond and have the two groups turn their backs on each other and ignore each other.) And sometimes they start waving signs at each other, don’t they? (Let them respond as you hand out signs for them to wave at the other group.) And sometimes they say things to each other, don’t they? (Let them respond as you have the two groups yell “CHOCOLATE” and “VANILLA” at each other.) And sometimes they get so angry that what happens? (Let them respond.) Sometimes, they get so angry with each other that they start fighting with each other, don’t they? (Let them respond as you collect the signs and have the children sit back down to listen.)
Well, one day, Jesus was with his friends, and they were getting upset because some Pharisees had followed them and were watching them from across the street. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was God’s Son and did not like him or his friends at all. Sometimes the Pharisees yelled things at Jesus and his friends, waved signs at them, and sometimes they even threw things at them. They wanted to stop Jesus and his friends, even if they had to kill Jesus to stop him.
Jesus’ friends were getting upset, but Jesus told them that God did not want them to get upset with people like the Pharisees. God did not want them to get upset with them, stop talking to them, fight with them, call them names, yell at them, or wave signs at them. He said that if they disagree with someone, they should try talking with them. And if that didn’t help, they should treat them the same way they treat pagans and tax collectors.
Pagans were people who did not believe in God like Jesus and his friends did. The tax collectors worked for the Romans and usually cheated people and made them pay more taxes than they needed to. So, most people didn’t like pagans and tax collectors, and they either fought with them, or just ignored them, never talked to them, and just pretended they did not exist. But Jesus’ friends knew that was not how Jesus treated them. Jesus ate lunch with pagans and tax collectors. He visited them in their homes. He talked with them and helped them if they needed help. Instead of staying away from them, he stayed close to them and kept showing them how much God cared about everyone. Even them. And that is what God wanted them to do when they disagreed with someone.
Today we still get upset with people we disagree with, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And, sometimes we post jokes about them and call them names and give them labels, or we block or unfollow them and just stay away from them. But in today’s story, Jesus reminds us that God wants us to care about and take care of each other, even if we don’t agree about things. We don’t have to agree with someone to care about them. God does not divide people into different groups, but God brings people together.
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Then I will start with a question.
What do you do when you disagree with someone? (Let them respond.) What do you do when you meet someone who doesn’t agree with something you believe in, or doesn’t like something that you like? (Let them respond.) People do different things when they disagree, don’t they? (Let them respond.)
One day, Jesus told his friends what God wanted them to do if they ever disagreed with someone.I want us to try something together and see if we can show what Jesus told them God wanted them to do when they disagreed. This will just be a silly example, but let’s see if it helps us understand what Jesus told his friends God wanted them to do.
How many of you like vanilla ice cream? (Let them respond.) Now, how many of you like chocolate ice cream? (Let them respond. If both sides are equal, ask a couple of the children to pretend to like the other flavor so you can continue.)
So, it looks like we disagree. Let’s see what people do when they disagree. Sometimes, they divide into groups, don’t they? (Let them respond as you have the children stand up and get into their two groups standing apart from each other.) And sometimes they won’t even talk to each other, will they? (Let them respond and have the two groups turn their backs on each other and ignore each other.) And sometimes they start waving signs at each other, don’t they? (Let them respond as you hand out signs for them to wave at the other group.) And sometimes they say things to each other, don’t they? (Let them respond as you have the two groups yell “CHOCOLATE” and “VANILLA” at each other.) And sometimes they get so angry that what happens? (Let them respond.) Sometimes, they get so angry with each other that they start fighting with each other, don’t they? (Let them respond as you collect the signs and have the children sit back down to listen.)
Well, one day, Jesus was with his friends, and they were getting upset because some Pharisees had followed them and were watching them from across the street. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was God’s Son and did not like him or his friends at all. Sometimes the Pharisees yelled things at Jesus and his friends, waved signs at them, and sometimes they even threw things at them. They wanted to stop Jesus and his friends, even if they had to kill Jesus to stop him.
Jesus’ friends were getting upset, but Jesus told them that God did not want them to get upset with people like the Pharisees. God did not want them to get upset with them, stop talking to them, fight with them, call them names, yell at them, or wave signs at them. He said that if they disagree with someone, they should try talking with them. And if that didn’t help, they should treat them the same way they treat pagans and tax collectors.
Pagans were people who did not believe in God like Jesus and his friends did. The tax collectors worked for the Romans and usually cheated people and made them pay more taxes than they needed to. So, most people didn’t like pagans and tax collectors, and they either fought with them, or just ignored them, never talked to them, and just pretended they did not exist. But Jesus’ friends knew that was not how Jesus treated them. Jesus ate lunch with pagans and tax collectors. He visited them in their homes. He talked with them and helped them if they needed help. Instead of staying away from them, he stayed close to them and kept showing them how much God cared about everyone. Even them. And that is what God wanted them to do when they disagreed with someone.
Today we still get upset with people we disagree with, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And, sometimes we post jokes about them and call them names and give them labels, or we block or unfollow them and just stay away from them. But in today’s story, Jesus reminds us that God wants us to care about and take care of each other, even if we don’t agree about things. We don’t have to agree with someone to care about them. God does not divide people into different groups, but God brings people together.
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
