As I Have Loved!
Children's sermon
Object: An old, worn-out shoe and an old banana.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!
I need your help to tell our story today. I need everyone to think about Jesus and the stories you have heard about him. As you think, can anyone remember something that Jesus did to help someone he met? (Let them respond. Help them brainstorm a list of things, such as: fed them, healed them, talked with them, ate with them, taught them, and others. Have fun with the conversation.) Those are all things we remember that Jesus did for people, aren’t they? (Let them respond.) That is an important list to remember.
Jesus didn’t care who someone was, or where they were from, or how much money they had, or anything else like that, did he? (Let them respond.) He did the things on our list to help people because he cared about them, no matter who they were, and he wanted them to be safe and happy.
Our story tells us why our list of things Jesus did for people is so important.
One day, Jesus was talking with his friends, and he told them, “A new command I give you: Love one another.” When he said that, I wonder how the people felt? The temple leaders already had a lot of commands that everyone was supposed to follow if they loved God, and now Jesus gave them another one. I wonder if they thought, “Gee, thanks, Jesus. But we have enough commands already and really don’t need any more, thank you.” But that’s not what Jesus meant. Let me show you what he meant.
(Show the shoe.) Have you ever had a pair of shoes that were all worn out and didn’t look very good? (Let them respond.) When that happens, we sometimes get a new pair of shoes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And when we get the new pair, what do we do with the old shoes? (Let them respond.) Sometimes we throw them away, but sometimes we keep them to wear when we are doing something messy, so we don’t ruin our new shoes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) So, we get something new, but we keep the old things, too.
But what about something like this? (Show the banana.) If we get a banana that looks like this, we sometimes go get a new one instead, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And if we get a new banana, do we usually keep the old one, too? (Let them respond.) We usually just get rid of the old banana, don’t we? (Let them respond.) So, sometimes when we get something new, we keep the old things, and sometimes we don’t keep them, right? (Let them respond.)
When Jesus told his friends he was giving them a new command, he said something else, too. He didn’t just say that they should love each other. He said that they should love each other the same way he has loved everyone. He said that if we really love each other, we won’t do what the temple leaders say we should do anymore, but we will do the same things that Jesus did for people.
We have a lot of commands too, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And we have a lot of people telling us how we should treat other people, don’t we? (Let them respond.) They tell us that there are people who aren’t as good as us and aren’t worth helping. They tell us that we should only care about those people who follow all of the commands the leaders have made. But do you know what Jesus thinks about all of those commands? (Let them respond as you show the banana.) He thinks they are like old bananas, and we need to throw them out and remember the one new command. And what is that new command Jesus gave? (Let them respond.) He said we need to love each other the way he loves us, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that no matter what other people tell us we should do and who we should care about, Jesus said that those rules are like old bananas and need to be thrown away, and we need to care for everyone the same ways that Jesus cared for everyone. Jesus said that more than anything else, God wants us to take care of each other.
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.) Excellent! Let’s get started!
I need your help to tell our story today. I need everyone to think about Jesus and the stories you have heard about him. As you think, can anyone remember something that Jesus did to help someone he met? (Let them respond. Help them brainstorm a list of things, such as: fed them, healed them, talked with them, ate with them, taught them, and others. Have fun with the conversation.) Those are all things we remember that Jesus did for people, aren’t they? (Let them respond.) That is an important list to remember.
Jesus didn’t care who someone was, or where they were from, or how much money they had, or anything else like that, did he? (Let them respond.) He did the things on our list to help people because he cared about them, no matter who they were, and he wanted them to be safe and happy.
Our story tells us why our list of things Jesus did for people is so important.
One day, Jesus was talking with his friends, and he told them, “A new command I give you: Love one another.” When he said that, I wonder how the people felt? The temple leaders already had a lot of commands that everyone was supposed to follow if they loved God, and now Jesus gave them another one. I wonder if they thought, “Gee, thanks, Jesus. But we have enough commands already and really don’t need any more, thank you.” But that’s not what Jesus meant. Let me show you what he meant.
(Show the shoe.) Have you ever had a pair of shoes that were all worn out and didn’t look very good? (Let them respond.) When that happens, we sometimes get a new pair of shoes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And when we get the new pair, what do we do with the old shoes? (Let them respond.) Sometimes we throw them away, but sometimes we keep them to wear when we are doing something messy, so we don’t ruin our new shoes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) So, we get something new, but we keep the old things, too.
But what about something like this? (Show the banana.) If we get a banana that looks like this, we sometimes go get a new one instead, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And if we get a new banana, do we usually keep the old one, too? (Let them respond.) We usually just get rid of the old banana, don’t we? (Let them respond.) So, sometimes when we get something new, we keep the old things, and sometimes we don’t keep them, right? (Let them respond.)
When Jesus told his friends he was giving them a new command, he said something else, too. He didn’t just say that they should love each other. He said that they should love each other the same way he has loved everyone. He said that if we really love each other, we won’t do what the temple leaders say we should do anymore, but we will do the same things that Jesus did for people.
We have a lot of commands too, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And we have a lot of people telling us how we should treat other people, don’t we? (Let them respond.) They tell us that there are people who aren’t as good as us and aren’t worth helping. They tell us that we should only care about those people who follow all of the commands the leaders have made. But do you know what Jesus thinks about all of those commands? (Let them respond as you show the banana.) He thinks they are like old bananas, and we need to throw them out and remember the one new command. And what is that new command Jesus gave? (Let them respond.) He said we need to love each other the way he loves us, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that no matter what other people tell us we should do and who we should care about, Jesus said that those rules are like old bananas and need to be thrown away, and we need to care for everyone the same ways that Jesus cared for everyone. Jesus said that more than anything else, God wants us to take care of each other.
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.
