The good Samaritan
Children's sermon
Object:
An alarm clock
Throughout the Bible we have many examples of people who make
excuses for themselves and their actions. In the first book of
the Bible, Adam blames Eve and Eve blames the snake. I brought
this alarm clock with me this morning to show you how I might
have made an excuse for not being here this morning.
What if I overslept and didn't get around in time this morning? I could say, "I didn't get around in time because my alarm clock did not ring and get me out of bed. It's not my fault."
Among the biggest excuses we make are the excuses for not loving other people. One day Jesus told a man that we must first love God and then our neighbor as ourselves. Like most of us, there were some people this man apparently didn't like or want to love. He said, "Just who is my neighbor, Jesus?"
He probably thought that if he could just love those who lived next to him, then that might be enough. He could still hate the foreigners and people who were different from himself. He could exclude some people and include those he wanted to include. He really wanted to make an excuse for himself.
How many of you remember how Jesus answered this man? Hint: he answered with a very famous story -- a parable. How does it go? Would someone want to tell me? (Let them answer.)
That is a wonderful story to tell us that all people are important to God. We are called to love God and others as we love ourselves. That's a mighty big order!
What if I overslept and didn't get around in time this morning? I could say, "I didn't get around in time because my alarm clock did not ring and get me out of bed. It's not my fault."
Among the biggest excuses we make are the excuses for not loving other people. One day Jesus told a man that we must first love God and then our neighbor as ourselves. Like most of us, there were some people this man apparently didn't like or want to love. He said, "Just who is my neighbor, Jesus?"
He probably thought that if he could just love those who lived next to him, then that might be enough. He could still hate the foreigners and people who were different from himself. He could exclude some people and include those he wanted to include. He really wanted to make an excuse for himself.
How many of you remember how Jesus answered this man? Hint: he answered with a very famous story -- a parable. How does it go? Would someone want to tell me? (Let them answer.)
That is a wonderful story to tell us that all people are important to God. We are called to love God and others as we love ourselves. That's a mighty big order!
