Little Piggies
Children's sermon
Object: A pig stuffed animal.
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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! Let’s get started!
One day, Jesus and his friends got into one of their boats and went out on the lake. Someone asked Jesus where they were going and he said, “We’re going to the other side.” They all stopped and stared at him and said, “The other side? But that’s where those other people live! We can’t go over there with those people!” But Jesus told them to keep rowing because that was where were going.
The people who lived on the other side of the lake were very different from the people who lived where Jesus and his friends lived. They talked differently and they ate different things. But does anyone know what the biggest difference was about the people who lived on the other side of the lake? (Let them respond as you show the pig.) This is what was different. The people on the other side of the lake raised pigs. Where Jesus and his friends were from, the old laws said that pigs were unclean and you should never touch them or eat the meat from a pig. But on the other side, there were lots of pigs and Jesus’ friends were afraid to go there.
When they got to the other side of the lake, they saw a man running around. He was running around in a cemetery and wasn’t wearing any clothes. I’ll bet that kind of scared them even more, don’t you? (Let them respond.) The man had been so sick for such a long time that the other people there had tied him to a wall with chains so he couldn’t bother anyone. But somehow he got loose and now he was just running around by the lake. When Jesus’ friends saw him, I’ll bet they were afraid to get out of the boat, don’t you? (Let them respond.) But Jesus got out and walked over to talk to the man. After a few minutes, Jesus said something to the man and made the sickness get out of him and go into some pigs that were there. (Show the pig.) Instead of tying him back up, Jesus healed the man so he wasn’t sick anymore. The sick pigs started running around and ended up running into the lake where they drowned.
The people who were taking care of the pigs saw what happened and ran to town to tell everyone what Jesus had done. When a bunch of them came back, do you know what they said to Jesus? (Let them respond.) Do you think they said, “Wow! Thank you for healing the sick man!”? (Let them respond.) Nope, that’s not what they said. When the people came back, they went to Jesus and said, “You need to leave!” Instead of saying, “This is great! Please help us with the other sick people here!” they said, “You need to go away! We don’t want you around here!”
So, Jesus and his friends got back in their boat and went home.
Now, why do you think the people told Jesus to leave? (Let them respond.) The story says they told him that because they were afraid of him. Why do you think the people were so afraid of Jesus and told him to go away? (Let them respond.) Do you think they were afraid of him just because he healed the sick man? (Let them respond.) I don’t think they were afraid because he healed the man, but because of how he healed him. What did Jesus do to make the sickness leave the man? (Let them respond.) He sent the sickness to the pigs, didn’t he? (Let them respond as you show the pig.) And then what happened to the pigs? (Let them respond.) They ran into the water and drowned, didn’t they? (Let them respond.) When Jesus healed the man, the pigs died, didn’t they? (Let them respond.) And the people owned those pigs and were afraid that if Jesus stayed there, something might happen to the rest of their pigs. The people might have been happy that the sick man was healed, but they were more worried about what was going to happen to their pigs and they told Jesus to leave because they were afraid they were going to lose more money. They may have cared about the sick man and other sick people there Jesus might be able to heal, but they cared a lot more about themselves and what might happen to their money. They were worried more about themselves than anyone else, weren’t they? (Let them respond.)
We need to be careful about that, too, don’t we? (Let them respond.) Jesus told us that God wants us to always try to help take care of each other, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) But sometimes, we see someone who needs help and we are afraid to help them, so we don’t help them. We think that some people might get upset with us if we help someone they don’t like. And we think that some people might like us more if we don’t help people they don’t like. So, sometimes, we see someone who needs help, but it is easier to just go away and not help someone who needs help.
Jesus knew some people would be upset with him if he went to the other side and healed the man, but he went and helped him anyway, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) When Jesus saw someone who needed help, he helped them, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)
So, I have a question for you. When we see someone who needs help, do we try to help them the way Jesus wants us to help them, or do we just tell Jesus to just go away because we are afraid someone might not get upset and not like us if we help the person? (Let them respond.) I think I am going to try and help them, don’t you? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that God wants us to take care of each other, even when it might be kind of scary. 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!
One day, Jesus and his friends got into one of their boats and went out on the lake. Someone asked Jesus where they were going and he said, “We’re going to the other side.” They all stopped and stared at him and said, “The other side? But that’s where those other people live! We can’t go over there with those people!” But Jesus told them to keep rowing because that was where were going.
The people who lived on the other side of the lake were very different from the people who lived where Jesus and his friends lived. They talked differently and they ate different things. But does anyone know what the biggest difference was about the people who lived on the other side of the lake? (Let them respond as you show the pig.) This is what was different. The people on the other side of the lake raised pigs. Where Jesus and his friends were from, the old laws said that pigs were unclean and you should never touch them or eat the meat from a pig. But on the other side, there were lots of pigs and Jesus’ friends were afraid to go there.
When they got to the other side of the lake, they saw a man running around. He was running around in a cemetery and wasn’t wearing any clothes. I’ll bet that kind of scared them even more, don’t you? (Let them respond.) The man had been so sick for such a long time that the other people there had tied him to a wall with chains so he couldn’t bother anyone. But somehow he got loose and now he was just running around by the lake. When Jesus’ friends saw him, I’ll bet they were afraid to get out of the boat, don’t you? (Let them respond.) But Jesus got out and walked over to talk to the man. After a few minutes, Jesus said something to the man and made the sickness get out of him and go into some pigs that were there. (Show the pig.) Instead of tying him back up, Jesus healed the man so he wasn’t sick anymore. The sick pigs started running around and ended up running into the lake where they drowned.
The people who were taking care of the pigs saw what happened and ran to town to tell everyone what Jesus had done. When a bunch of them came back, do you know what they said to Jesus? (Let them respond.) Do you think they said, “Wow! Thank you for healing the sick man!”? (Let them respond.) Nope, that’s not what they said. When the people came back, they went to Jesus and said, “You need to leave!” Instead of saying, “This is great! Please help us with the other sick people here!” they said, “You need to go away! We don’t want you around here!”
So, Jesus and his friends got back in their boat and went home.
Now, why do you think the people told Jesus to leave? (Let them respond.) The story says they told him that because they were afraid of him. Why do you think the people were so afraid of Jesus and told him to go away? (Let them respond.) Do you think they were afraid of him just because he healed the sick man? (Let them respond.) I don’t think they were afraid because he healed the man, but because of how he healed him. What did Jesus do to make the sickness leave the man? (Let them respond.) He sent the sickness to the pigs, didn’t he? (Let them respond as you show the pig.) And then what happened to the pigs? (Let them respond.) They ran into the water and drowned, didn’t they? (Let them respond.) When Jesus healed the man, the pigs died, didn’t they? (Let them respond.) And the people owned those pigs and were afraid that if Jesus stayed there, something might happen to the rest of their pigs. The people might have been happy that the sick man was healed, but they were more worried about what was going to happen to their pigs and they told Jesus to leave because they were afraid they were going to lose more money. They may have cared about the sick man and other sick people there Jesus might be able to heal, but they cared a lot more about themselves and what might happen to their money. They were worried more about themselves than anyone else, weren’t they? (Let them respond.)
We need to be careful about that, too, don’t we? (Let them respond.) Jesus told us that God wants us to always try to help take care of each other, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) But sometimes, we see someone who needs help and we are afraid to help them, so we don’t help them. We think that some people might get upset with us if we help someone they don’t like. And we think that some people might like us more if we don’t help people they don’t like. So, sometimes, we see someone who needs help, but it is easier to just go away and not help someone who needs help.
Jesus knew some people would be upset with him if he went to the other side and healed the man, but he went and helped him anyway, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) When Jesus saw someone who needed help, he helped them, didn’t he? (Let them respond.)
So, I have a question for you. When we see someone who needs help, do we try to help them the way Jesus wants us to help them, or do we just tell Jesus to just go away because we are afraid someone might not get upset and not like us if we help the person? (Let them respond.) I think I am going to try and help them, don’t you? (Let them respond.)
I hope our story will help us remember that God wants us to take care of each other, even when it might be kind of scary. 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.
