More Tricks!
Children's sermon
Object:
Something with Jesus’ 2 commandments written on it. This could be as simple as a piece of paper or something nicer that might be kept by the child.
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” (vv. 34-36)
Hi everyone! Today’s story is another one about Jesus and the Pharisees. Do you remember the Pharisees? (Let them answer.) They were the people who tried to trick Jesus about paying taxes because they wanted to make him look bad. Well, they are trying to do it again!
I have a question for you. Have you ever broken a rule? (Let them answer.) There are lots of rules, aren’t there. There were even more rules back when Jesus was teaching. And you probably remember that the Pharisees were experts about all of those laws and rules. There were rules that said you should not touch anyone who is sick. You should not eat dinner with someone who does not believe what you believe. You should not talk to or touch anyone who is unclean. And there are a lot more.
The Pharisees spent their time running around catching people who broke a rule and then made them pay for it. The Pharisees believed that if you broke a rule, you had to pay for a sacrifice to be forgiven. And if you could not afford the sacrifice, God would not forgive you. And if God did not forgive you, you were called unclean. Remember one of the rules said that no one could talk to or touch anyone who was unclean? Yes, if you did not have the money to pay for the sacrifice, you were unclean and no one was supposed to talk with you or be with you.
Jesus did not believe that. In fact, Jesus broke a lot of the Pharisee’s rules. He touched sick people. He ate dinner with people he was not supposed to eat with. He went places he was not supposed to go. He spent time with people the Pharisees said were unclean. He even told people that if they broke one of God’s rules, all they had to do was ask and God would forgive them. God would forgive them even if they were too poor to pay for a sacrifice.
What do you think the Pharisees thought about that? Did they like Jesus? (Let them answer.) No, they did not like Jesus at all.
The Pharisees decided to play another trick on Jesus and try to make him look foolish in front of everyone. One day when Jesus was with a bunch of people, the Pharisees asked him a question. They said,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
It sounds like an easy question, doesn’t it? But it was a trick. Do you remember how many commandments Moses told everyone about? (Let them answer.) Yes, there were ten commandments. But people argued about which of the ten commandments was the greatest one. Some people said the greatest commandment was to not kill. Others said it was to not steal. Others said it was to not lie. So, the Pharisees knew that no matter which commandment Jesus said was the greatest, some people were going to be upset with him. HAH! We gotcha!
What do you think Jesus did? (Let them answer.)
I think Jesus smiled. Then he looked at the Pharisees and said:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Instead of the Pharisees tricking Jesus, Jesus tricked the Pharisees. He did not pick one of the ten commandments that Moses gave. Jesus knew all ten of those commandments were important, but what was most important to God was that we love God and that we love each other.
I have something for you. (Give each child the piece with the two commandments on it.) If you ever get caught in a trap and can’t decide what is the best thing to do, don’t be tricked. Just look at these words and remember what Jesus said the most important rules are. We should do whatever shows that we love God and that we love other people. Those are the two most important things for us to do.
Let’s say a short prayer to ask God to help us remember those two commandments.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you again for reminding us how much you love all of us, and how much you want us to take care of each other. Please help us remember to do the things that show we love you and that we love other people.
Hi everyone! Today’s story is another one about Jesus and the Pharisees. Do you remember the Pharisees? (Let them answer.) They were the people who tried to trick Jesus about paying taxes because they wanted to make him look bad. Well, they are trying to do it again!
I have a question for you. Have you ever broken a rule? (Let them answer.) There are lots of rules, aren’t there. There were even more rules back when Jesus was teaching. And you probably remember that the Pharisees were experts about all of those laws and rules. There were rules that said you should not touch anyone who is sick. You should not eat dinner with someone who does not believe what you believe. You should not talk to or touch anyone who is unclean. And there are a lot more.
The Pharisees spent their time running around catching people who broke a rule and then made them pay for it. The Pharisees believed that if you broke a rule, you had to pay for a sacrifice to be forgiven. And if you could not afford the sacrifice, God would not forgive you. And if God did not forgive you, you were called unclean. Remember one of the rules said that no one could talk to or touch anyone who was unclean? Yes, if you did not have the money to pay for the sacrifice, you were unclean and no one was supposed to talk with you or be with you.
Jesus did not believe that. In fact, Jesus broke a lot of the Pharisee’s rules. He touched sick people. He ate dinner with people he was not supposed to eat with. He went places he was not supposed to go. He spent time with people the Pharisees said were unclean. He even told people that if they broke one of God’s rules, all they had to do was ask and God would forgive them. God would forgive them even if they were too poor to pay for a sacrifice.
What do you think the Pharisees thought about that? Did they like Jesus? (Let them answer.) No, they did not like Jesus at all.
The Pharisees decided to play another trick on Jesus and try to make him look foolish in front of everyone. One day when Jesus was with a bunch of people, the Pharisees asked him a question. They said,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
It sounds like an easy question, doesn’t it? But it was a trick. Do you remember how many commandments Moses told everyone about? (Let them answer.) Yes, there were ten commandments. But people argued about which of the ten commandments was the greatest one. Some people said the greatest commandment was to not kill. Others said it was to not steal. Others said it was to not lie. So, the Pharisees knew that no matter which commandment Jesus said was the greatest, some people were going to be upset with him. HAH! We gotcha!
What do you think Jesus did? (Let them answer.)
I think Jesus smiled. Then he looked at the Pharisees and said:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Instead of the Pharisees tricking Jesus, Jesus tricked the Pharisees. He did not pick one of the ten commandments that Moses gave. Jesus knew all ten of those commandments were important, but what was most important to God was that we love God and that we love each other.
I have something for you. (Give each child the piece with the two commandments on it.) If you ever get caught in a trap and can’t decide what is the best thing to do, don’t be tricked. Just look at these words and remember what Jesus said the most important rules are. We should do whatever shows that we love God and that we love other people. Those are the two most important things for us to do.
Let’s say a short prayer to ask God to help us remember those two commandments.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you again for reminding us how much you love all of us, and how much you want us to take care of each other. Please help us remember to do the things that show we love you and that we love other people.
