Training!
Children's sermon
Object: Three eggs and three, small “Nerf” balls. I recommend treating the eggs like they are raw but using boiled eggs just to be safe. Trust me on this one. Even though no one will actually try to juggle the eggs, accidents have happened. And, if you cannot find “Nerf” balls, any small, plastic or rubber balls would work.
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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story? (Let them respond.) Great! This is the story about the day Jesus called all of his disciples together and told them he had a job he wanted them to do. They had been traveling with him, and watching the things that he did to care for people, and now he told them it was time they started going out and taking care of people just like he had been doing. But Jesus told them something that sounds kind of strange. He told them that they should not go and try to help people who were different than they were, like the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but he said they should only go and talk to the Jewish people who were like them.
Does that sound strange to you? (Let them respond.) Why did Jesus tell them to not go and talk to everyone, but only talk to the people who were like them? We know lots of stories about Jesus talking to people who were different than he was, don’t we? (Let them respond.) He talked to Samaritans, and Gentiles, and anybody he met anywhere at all. I wonder why he told his disciples to not do that. (Let them respond.) Well, I think I have an idea why he told them. (Get out the eggs.)
Does anyone here know how to juggle? (Let them respond. Select a child who does NOT know how and speak to that child.) Would you come and help me explain why I think Jesus said those things? (Have the child stand in front of you.) Who can tell me what I have in my hand? (Let them respond.) Eggs! Yes. And we are going to use these eggs to teach you how to juggle. (Look at the child, but don’t actually hand them the eggs.) When I hand you these three eggs, I want you to see if you can throw them up in the air and then catch them, okay? (Watch for reactions from anyone, including the congregation.) What’s wrong? Is there a problem? (Keep looking around and have fun with any reactions.) A mess? Do you think we’ll make a mess? (Let them respond.) Well, I guess we might drop an egg or two while we practice, so, I’ll tell you what. (Put the eggs away and pull out the three balls.) Do you think we ought to start with these instead? (Let them respond.) Yes, probably so. I think we probably ought to practice with these for a while before we try the eggs, don’t you? (Let them respond, and have the child sit down next to you.)
When we are learning to do something new, it always helps if we practice, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) And I think that might be what Jesus meant when he talked to his disciples in our story. Jesus knew it was going to be really hard for them to talk with some of the people who weren’t like them. The Samaritans and Gentiles had been fighting with the Jews for a long time, and they didn’t trust each other at all. Jesus knew that if the disciples tried to talk with any of them it would be really, really hard to do.
Jesus wanted them to care about everyone everywhere just like he did, but he knew It would be too hard and too scary for them to do that right now. He knew they needed to spend some time practicing before they talked to a Samaritan or a Gentile. And the best way for them to practice would be to go to other Jewish people who were more like them and would be easier to talk with.
It can be hard for us to care about everyone like Jesus wants us to, can’t it? (Let them respond.) Sometimes we forget to care for someone, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And sometimes we just don’t feel like caring for someone, do we? (Let them respond.) So, just like the disciples, we need to practice, too, don’t we? (Let them respond.)
We are all still learning how to be like Jesus, and sometimes we need to practice, just like learning to juggle. (Hand the balls to the child who helped earlier.) Here, why don’t you take these so you can practice juggling with them?
And I have an idea for how we can all practice to care for people the way Jesus wants us to. This week let’s do our best to not say or do anything angry or mean to anyone at all. And if we make a mistake or forget, we’ll just keep practicing until we can do it the way Jesus wants to do it. Do you think you can try to practice that one thing this week? (Let them respond.) Great!
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? (Let them respond.) Great! This is the story about the day Jesus called all of his disciples together and told them he had a job he wanted them to do. They had been traveling with him, and watching the things that he did to care for people, and now he told them it was time they started going out and taking care of people just like he had been doing. But Jesus told them something that sounds kind of strange. He told them that they should not go and try to help people who were different than they were, like the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but he said they should only go and talk to the Jewish people who were like them.
Does that sound strange to you? (Let them respond.) Why did Jesus tell them to not go and talk to everyone, but only talk to the people who were like them? We know lots of stories about Jesus talking to people who were different than he was, don’t we? (Let them respond.) He talked to Samaritans, and Gentiles, and anybody he met anywhere at all. I wonder why he told his disciples to not do that. (Let them respond.) Well, I think I have an idea why he told them. (Get out the eggs.)
Does anyone here know how to juggle? (Let them respond. Select a child who does NOT know how and speak to that child.) Would you come and help me explain why I think Jesus said those things? (Have the child stand in front of you.) Who can tell me what I have in my hand? (Let them respond.) Eggs! Yes. And we are going to use these eggs to teach you how to juggle. (Look at the child, but don’t actually hand them the eggs.) When I hand you these three eggs, I want you to see if you can throw them up in the air and then catch them, okay? (Watch for reactions from anyone, including the congregation.) What’s wrong? Is there a problem? (Keep looking around and have fun with any reactions.) A mess? Do you think we’ll make a mess? (Let them respond.) Well, I guess we might drop an egg or two while we practice, so, I’ll tell you what. (Put the eggs away and pull out the three balls.) Do you think we ought to start with these instead? (Let them respond.) Yes, probably so. I think we probably ought to practice with these for a while before we try the eggs, don’t you? (Let them respond, and have the child sit down next to you.)
When we are learning to do something new, it always helps if we practice, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.) And I think that might be what Jesus meant when he talked to his disciples in our story. Jesus knew it was going to be really hard for them to talk with some of the people who weren’t like them. The Samaritans and Gentiles had been fighting with the Jews for a long time, and they didn’t trust each other at all. Jesus knew that if the disciples tried to talk with any of them it would be really, really hard to do.
Jesus wanted them to care about everyone everywhere just like he did, but he knew It would be too hard and too scary for them to do that right now. He knew they needed to spend some time practicing before they talked to a Samaritan or a Gentile. And the best way for them to practice would be to go to other Jewish people who were more like them and would be easier to talk with.
It can be hard for us to care about everyone like Jesus wants us to, can’t it? (Let them respond.) Sometimes we forget to care for someone, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And sometimes we just don’t feel like caring for someone, do we? (Let them respond.) So, just like the disciples, we need to practice, too, don’t we? (Let them respond.)
We are all still learning how to be like Jesus, and sometimes we need to practice, just like learning to juggle. (Hand the balls to the child who helped earlier.) Here, why don’t you take these so you can practice juggling with them?
And I have an idea for how we can all practice to care for people the way Jesus wants us to. This week let’s do our best to not say or do anything angry or mean to anyone at all. And if we make a mistake or forget, we’ll just keep practicing until we can do it the way Jesus wants to do it. Do you think you can try to practice that one thing this week? (Let them respond.) Great!
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.
