When Jesus broke the rules
Children's sermon
Object:
a pillow
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a pillow with me this
morning. What can you do with a pillow? (Let them answer.) You
rest with a pillow. Did you know that Sunday is a Christian day
of rest?
In the country where Jesus grew up, Saturday was the day of rest. It was called the sabbath. Sometimes we call Sunday the sabbath. Have you ever heard that word? (Let them answer.)
I want to tell you a story about Jesus and the sabbath. The sabbath was a very special day of rest in Jesus' day. It is still a very special day of rest for people who are of the Jewish faith. It is a day of rest because, for Jews, it is the seventh day of the week. It is the day that God rested after God created the world. Everyone wanted to rest on the same day that God rested. People were not supposed to do things that were considered work on the sabbath. But one sabbath Jesus and his disciples were on a journey. They were hungry and needed food. So, they went through a field and picked some grain while they were walking along. That was considered doing work. It was against the rules of the sabbath. Some of the other people, who were careful about following the rules, found out and scolded Jesus. But Jesus said to them, "Sometimes you have to break the rules. If people are hungry, we have to feed them first, even on a worship day."
Jesus said that he is the lord of the sabbath. That means that he is the ruler of the sabbath and of all the people. Jesus is God's son. The next time you lay down to rest on your pillow, think of Jesus. Jesus broke the rules. He told people that sometimes you have to break the rules if there is a special need -- if someone is hungry, or hurting, or lonely. You break the rules if you can help someone. You break the rules, even if it is on the day of rest.
In the country where Jesus grew up, Saturday was the day of rest. It was called the sabbath. Sometimes we call Sunday the sabbath. Have you ever heard that word? (Let them answer.)
I want to tell you a story about Jesus and the sabbath. The sabbath was a very special day of rest in Jesus' day. It is still a very special day of rest for people who are of the Jewish faith. It is a day of rest because, for Jews, it is the seventh day of the week. It is the day that God rested after God created the world. Everyone wanted to rest on the same day that God rested. People were not supposed to do things that were considered work on the sabbath. But one sabbath Jesus and his disciples were on a journey. They were hungry and needed food. So, they went through a field and picked some grain while they were walking along. That was considered doing work. It was against the rules of the sabbath. Some of the other people, who were careful about following the rules, found out and scolded Jesus. But Jesus said to them, "Sometimes you have to break the rules. If people are hungry, we have to feed them first, even on a worship day."
Jesus said that he is the lord of the sabbath. That means that he is the ruler of the sabbath and of all the people. Jesus is God's son. The next time you lay down to rest on your pillow, think of Jesus. Jesus broke the rules. He told people that sometimes you have to break the rules if there is a special need -- if someone is hungry, or hurting, or lonely. You break the rules if you can help someone. You break the rules, even if it is on the day of rest.
