First Responders!
Children's sermon
Object:
A knife and a bandage.
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have a question for you today. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.) Great! Here we go! Has anyone ever said something to you that didn’t make sense to you? (Let them respond.) After they said it, were you pretty confused about what they meant? (Let them respond.) Yes, I think that happens to all of us. But let me ask this: did Jesus ever say something that didn’t make sense to you or that was just really confusing and hard to understand? (Let them respond.) Well, that has happened to me. In fact, what Jesus said in today’s passage is pretty confusing for me. Let me read it to you and see if it makes sense to you, ok? (Let them respond.) Jesus was talking with a bunch of people one day, and this is what he said to them:
Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (vv. 51-53)
When I read what Jesus said to the people, I was confused.I thought Jesus came to help us and wanted us to love everyone, didn’t you? (Let them respond.) But this sure sounds different, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) It sounds like Jesus wants us to argue and fight, instead of helping other people, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) Some people read what Jesus said here and believe that he wants us to argue with other people. (Show the knife) They believe Jesus wants us to divide into groups and fight against each other. What do you think? Do you think Jesus really wants us to fight with other people like that? Is that what Jesus meant? (Let them respond.) No, I don’t think so either.
But I think I figured out what Jesus meant when he said those things to the people that day. I don’t think Jesus was telling them what he wanted them to do. I think he was telling them what he was going to do. When Jesus talked with those people, he was on his way to Jerusalem where he was going to talk to the religious leaders. He was going to tell the leaders that what they were doing was wrong and that God wanted them to change things. He was going to say and do things that were going to upset the leaders in Jerusalem. The leaders told everyone that God only loved people who followed all of their religious laws. But Jesus told them that God loved everyone, even if they did not follow all of the religious laws, and he knew that would make the leaders angry and they would fight him.
(Show the knife.) So, I don’t think Jesus was telling the people to argue and fight with other people. I think Jesus was telling them that he was about to do something that was going to make a lot of people upset and that a lot of those people would start to split up and argue with each other because of what he did. He was telling them what was about to happen so they could be ready for it.
Jesus had already told them all what he wanted them to do. Can anyone remember what he has told us he wants us all to do? (Let them respond.) Jesus told us many times that he wants us to take care of each other, didn’t he? He wants us to help each other and instead of dividing people up, he wants us to bring people together.
(Show the knife.) I don’t think Jesus was telling the people that he wanted them to divide into groups and become fighters and hurt other people. (Put down the knife and show the bandage.) I believe he was telling them that instead of becoming fighters and arguing with everyone, Jesus wanted them to be like first responders and take care of people who needed help. Instead of dividing into groups and fighting with each other, Jesus wants us to spend our time taking care of other people and bringing people together.
And that is still what Jesus wants us to do, isn’t it? (Let them respond.)
Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how Jesus wants us to love each other and take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. 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.
Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. (vv. 51-53)
When I read what Jesus said to the people, I was confused.I thought Jesus came to help us and wanted us to love everyone, didn’t you? (Let them respond.) But this sure sounds different, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) It sounds like Jesus wants us to argue and fight, instead of helping other people, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) Some people read what Jesus said here and believe that he wants us to argue with other people. (Show the knife) They believe Jesus wants us to divide into groups and fight against each other. What do you think? Do you think Jesus really wants us to fight with other people like that? Is that what Jesus meant? (Let them respond.) No, I don’t think so either.
But I think I figured out what Jesus meant when he said those things to the people that day. I don’t think Jesus was telling them what he wanted them to do. I think he was telling them what he was going to do. When Jesus talked with those people, he was on his way to Jerusalem where he was going to talk to the religious leaders. He was going to tell the leaders that what they were doing was wrong and that God wanted them to change things. He was going to say and do things that were going to upset the leaders in Jerusalem. The leaders told everyone that God only loved people who followed all of their religious laws. But Jesus told them that God loved everyone, even if they did not follow all of the religious laws, and he knew that would make the leaders angry and they would fight him.
(Show the knife.) So, I don’t think Jesus was telling the people to argue and fight with other people. I think Jesus was telling them that he was about to do something that was going to make a lot of people upset and that a lot of those people would start to split up and argue with each other because of what he did. He was telling them what was about to happen so they could be ready for it.
Jesus had already told them all what he wanted them to do. Can anyone remember what he has told us he wants us all to do? (Let them respond.) Jesus told us many times that he wants us to take care of each other, didn’t he? He wants us to help each other and instead of dividing people up, he wants us to bring people together.
(Show the knife.) I don’t think Jesus was telling the people that he wanted them to divide into groups and become fighters and hurt other people. (Put down the knife and show the bandage.) I believe he was telling them that instead of becoming fighters and arguing with everyone, Jesus wanted them to be like first responders and take care of people who needed help. Instead of dividing into groups and fighting with each other, Jesus wants us to spend our time taking care of other people and bringing people together.
And that is still what Jesus wants us to do, isn’t it? (Let them respond.)
Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how Jesus wants us to love each other and take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. 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.
