God wants us to love our enemies.

Parable of the Good Samaritan Lesson 11 Bible Point God wants us to love our enemies. Bible Verse But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n recognize that love is a decision, n discover why it s important to love, and n learn practical ways to show love. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37 Jesus story about the good Samaritan begins with a man s trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, which was about 17 miles and included a descent of over 3,000 feet. The rocky terrain provided many places for bandits to hide and ambush solitary travelers. In the story, the man was attacked by robbers and left for dead. Since Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, the assumption would have been that the man was a Jew. The identities of the three who came along after the man had been robbed and beaten are significant. The first, a priest, was considered to be a representative of God. A parallel today might be a pastor. The second to come by was a Levite. This was someone who assisted the priest, still a spiritual person but in a layperson s role. And the last one, a Samaritan, was despised by Jews because of his heritage. Only the Samaritan stopped to help. Not only did the Samaritan bind up the man s wounds, transport him to a place of safety, and take care of him there, but he also made sure the man would be taken care of as he healed. The two silver coins the Samaritan gave to the innkeeper were significant in value: They would have been worth about two days wages. That was likely enough to pay for lodging at an inn for several weeks. Not only did the Samaritan leave money, but he promised to stop by on his return trip and take care of any additional expenses incurred. Having told this story in response to the question about who we were responsible to love as our neighbors, Jesus returned to the question after the parable but turned it around. Rather than ask whom we re responsible to as a neighbor, Jesus asked who had been a good neighbor. Prayer Read Luke 10:27. How are the children in your classroom your neighbors? Dear God, help me to reach out to these children, as you would have me reach out to my neighbors 123

Lesson 11 Before the Lesson n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed on the chart. n Make photocopies of the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for your students and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Attention Grabber What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Star Toss Play a game that goes from competition to cooperation, and discuss loving their enemies. Snack, stopwatch Bible Exploration & Application Won t You Be My Neighbor? Help Luke 10:25 37 come alive with actions, and discuss Matthew 5:43 47. Bibles, Saved by a Samaritan handout (p. 132) Hurling Insults Throw paper insults at each other, receive a surprising gift of love, and then read Scripture passages to learn ways God wants us to treat our enemies. Bibles, colored paper, pencils, paper, trash can, stopwatch Kindness Cards Make cards to demonstrate love to others. Paper towels, nontoxic tempera paint, paper plate, construction paper, markers Praying for Others Give hearts away, and pray for others to put Matthew 5:44 into action. Bible, CD player Closing Lessons in Love Commit to put this week s lesson into action. 124

Parable of the Good Samaritan Welcome As kids arrive, ask them how they applied what they learned last week. Ask questions such as How did you plant seeds of God s Word last week? and How did your family share Jesus with someone last week? Remind kids that whenever you ring the bell, they are to stop talking, raise their hands, and focus on you. Explain that it s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible. Attention Grabber n Star Toss SUPPLIES: snack, stopwatch Form two teams, Team A and Team B. Make sure there are an equal number of players on each team. If necessary, join in the game to make teams equal. Say: Today we re going to play Star Toss. Here s how to play: We ll sit on the floor in a long line, with about three feet between every player. We ll alternate players first one from Team A, then one from Team B. Your team will win if you succeed in getting your foam star from the first player on your team to the last player on your team. You can toss or bat the foam star, but you can t hand the foam star from one person to another. We ll play three rounds of 30 seconds each. Huddle with Team B, and tell them that just after the third round begins, each team member is to stop trying to win. Instead, each member should say to a Team A neighbor, Wait, we ll help you win, and then let s share a snack. Arrange the players so team members alternate on the floor in one long line. You ll have a Team A player on one end of the line, and a Team B player on the other end. Appoint these players team captains, and give them each a foam star. Say: When I say go, try to move your team s foam star to the other end of the line. You must also try to block the other team s foam star. You may not capture or damage the other team s star, just knock it back toward their captain. You must stop play when you hear the bell sound. After the third round, distribute snacks to Team B members. Have them share their snacks with their opponents from Team A. As kids are enjoying their snacks, ask Team A: What did you think when your opponent stopped and asked you to share a snack? (I thought something strange was going on; I figured out that you d told the other team to help us win.) Did your opponent s surprise actions change your attitude toward him or her? How? (I felt like we were all on the same team; I wasn t against that person anymore since we were all working together.) If you have a small room, consider moving to a larger room for this activity. Or form four teams and use two other items from the Learning Lab. For easier play, remove the centers from the foam stars. If both foam stars are the same color, give one team a different item from the Learning Lab, such as the bag of paper straw. It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point again and again throughout the lesson will help kids remember it and apply it to their lives. 125

Lesson 11 If you were in an argument and the person you were fighting with was suddenly nice to you, what would you do? (It would be hard to keep on fighting; I would probably stop fighting.) Is it possible to be nice to someone who s not being nice to you? Explain. (Yes, but it s really hard; no, if someone is being mean to me I don t think I could be nice to that person.) Say: Today s lesson is a difficult one to put into practice. God wants us to love our enemies. That s hard to do. But we can do it with God s help. Let s find out how. Encourage active participation as students report back by following up kids answers with questions such as, What did you mean by that? and Can you tell me more? Bible Exploration & Application n Won t You Be My Neighbor? SUPPLIES: Bibles, Saved by a Samaritan handout (p. 132) Before class, photocopy the Saved by a Samaritan handout for each student. Have kids sit in a semicircle on the floor in front of you. Distribute Bibles. Say: We ll start by hearing some questions that a man asked Jesus. Open your Bibles to Luke 10:25. Have a volunteer read Luke 10:25-29 aloud while others follow along. Then say: The two answers the man gave come from the Old Testament in the books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Ask: Why are these important rules to follow? (It s important to love God first and then love others; if we treated everyone like we wanted to be treated, there would be a lot more happiness and kindness in the world.) Say: Jesus told the man that if he wanted eternal life, he should love God and love his neighbor. But the man asked Jesus another question: Who is my neighbor? In Jewish law, the word neighbor meant another Israelite. Jesus told a story to answer the man s question. We re going to hear that story from Luke 10:30-37. In this story that Jesus told, there are three Jews and one Samaritan. The Jews and the Samaritans disliked each other very much. They had different religious beliefs, and they tried to stay as far away from each other as possible. That s important for you to remember as the story unfolds. Distribute the Saved by a Samaritan handouts. Choose an outgoing student to lead the class in the actions listed on the right side of the handout. Say: I ll read Jesus story from the left side of the handout. After I read a sentence, you ll do the actions that are listed on the right. I ve selected a leader to prompt you and to help everyone really make the story come alive. When you ve finished the story, congratulate kids on a fine performance, and collect the handouts. Say: Now I ll ask you the same question Jesus asked the man. Which one of those three men was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers? Why? (The Samaritan was the neighbor because he stopped to help; the Samaritan was the only one who showed love.) What was Jesus trying to teach the man who asked, Who is my neighbor? (Everyone is our neighbor; we should be kind to everyone, even if they don t live next door to us; we should love people even if they are supposed to be our enemies.) 126

Parable of the Good Samaritan What answer do you think the man wanted to hear? (He wanted an easy answer; he wanted to only have to be kind to people he liked or to his friends.) Say: Jesus knows that loving our enemies is very important. He talks about it in another passage in Matthew. Let s look there to find out what Jesus says. After pairs have read Matthew 5:43-47, have them answer the following questions and share their responses with the rest of the class. Would it be hard for you to treat an enemy the way the Bible tells you to? Why? (Yes, because it s hard to be nice to mean people; yes, because when someone is mean to me, I don t feel like being nice or showing love.) How would kind actions change your relationship with someone who s mean to you? (It might not change them at all, that person might still be mean; it might change my attitude even if it didn t change the mean person; it might make the mean person start to be nice.) How might your enemies feel if you were kind to them? (Uncomfortable; embarrassed for being mean; like they should be kind in return.) What would happen if everyone loved their enemies? (We wouldn t have enemies anymore; we wouldn t have war or fighting.) Say: God wants us to love our enemies. That may not be the way we feel like treating them, but it s God s way. When we love our enemies, we re showing them God s love, rather than the bad feelings inside us. Let s see what happens when we let those bad feelings out. Watch out! Bible Verse Connection But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44). Refraining from revenge is difficult for kids. But loving our enemies means that, instead of exacting payment for the wrongs others have committed, we obey God and follow the advice of this key Bible verse. n Hurling Insults SUPPLIES: Bibles, colored paper, pencils, paper, trash can, stopwatch Before class, write the following references on slips of paper: winter Proverbs 25:21 and Romans 12:14, 21; spring Luke 6:27-36; summer 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; fall 1 John 4:7 and Luke 6:35. Have the kids form groups according to their birth seasons winter (December-February), spring (March-May), summer (June-August), fall (September-November). Send each group to a different corner of the room. Distribute three half sheets of colored paper and a pencil to each person. Give each group a different color. Have each student write a negative comment, such as You re no good at soccer or You re bad at math, on each sheet of paper, and then crumple the papers into balls. These comments will not be read aloud or be seen by anyone but the writer. While groups are working, go to the summer group and give this group all of the cedar hearts. Privately tell the members of the summer group that when it s their turn, they ll give others the cedar hearts and handshakes after they ve endured having the insults hurled at them. Make sure kids understand your instructions and keep them a secret. Say: You re going to have a chance to hurl these paper insults at each other. First, the fall group is going to stand in the center of the room. When I ring the bell, you ll all have 15 seconds to throw your paper insults at this group. But you ll have to stay in your own corner as you throw. Ring the bell, and have kids start hurling their insults. After 15 seconds, ring the bell again, and have groups collect their papers. Kids can gather any three papers off the floor they don t have to find their original papers. Have the winter group step into the middle of the room, and ring the bell to have kids hurl their insults again. Then If you have more than 10 children who are hurling insults, have the summer group use gold coins in addition to the cedar hearts. 127

Lesson 11 Bible Insight The Jewish lawyer s surprise at Jesus interpretation of who constituted a neighbor is understandable in light of the constant tension that existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. The parable of the good Samaritan is recorded only in the Gospel of Luke. Luke was the one of the Gospel writers most concerned about demonstrating Jesus welcoming of non-jews into God s kingdom. repeat the process with the spring group. Finally, have the summer group take a turn in the center of the room. After insults have been hurled at the summer group, have this group give each person who hurled an insult a cedar heart and a handshake. Then have each group form a circle in its corner. Ask: What was it like to be standing in the center of the room? (It was no fun to have everyone throwing papers at me; it felt embarrassing to stand there; it was fine because the papers couldn t hurt me.) When you were in the circle, what did you think about the other groups? (I thought they were mean; I didn t like them.) Turn to the summer group, and ask: Did you enjoy giving out the cedar hearts? Why or why not? (Yes, it made it easier to stand in the middle knowing that I was going to be nice; no, it made me feel sad to know that I was going to be nice to these people who were being so mean to me.) Ask the other groups: What did you think when you received a cedar heart and a handshake? (I felt embarrassed for being mean to them; I thought they were nice.) Why was it strange for this group to be so nice to you? (Because we d been mean to them; because we didn t deserve their nice actions.) Pieces of paper probably didn t hurt much. How do real insults feel? (Terrible; they really hurt; you can t forget the mean things people say.) Say: Even when words sting, God wants us to love our enemies with all of our hearts. The Bible is full of verses that tell us how to treat our enemies. Let s open our Bibles and take a look at what God has to say. Give each group its Scripture passages, Bibles, paper, and a pencil. Say: Each group is to choose one person to be a Recorder to write down your ideas, a Representative to share your ideas with the class, and a Reader to read the Bible passages. After reading your verses, the winter, spring, and summer groups will write down specific things the Bible tells us to do to show love. The fall group will write down why it s important to love others. After a few minutes, I ll ring the bell and give your Representatives a chance to share what you learned. As groups work, walk around the room to offer ideas or answer any questions. This is also a good time to collect the cedar hearts and set them aside. When you can see that groups are finishing, ring the bell, and let groups share what they ve learned. After all the groups have shared, say: The Bible clearly shows that God expects us to be kind to our enemies. The first step toward being kind is to get rid of all of these insults! I ll pass the trash can to each group. After you ve thrown your insults away, sit in a large circle in the center of the room. When everyone is seated in a circle, ask: Why does God want us to love our enemies? (Because it s the only way to help them know God s love; because if we re mean then we re not being like God; because God loves us even when we re mean to him.) What s the hardest thing about loving someone who isn t a friend? (Everything! Being kind to someone who you don t know is uncomfortable; it s easier to be nice to my friends because I know they ll be nice back to me.) What have you learned from this activity that will help you love an enemy this week? (That when I m kind, the person who is mean to me might change; that God wants me to be kind even when it s hard; that I can pray for someone who is mean and that person might change.) 128

Parable of the Good Samaritan Say: God wants us to love our enemies. The Bible gives us great instructions on how to love people who may be hard to love. This week, let s all practice giving love instead of hurling insults. n Kindness Cards SUPPLIES: paper towels, nontoxic tempera paint, paper plate, construction paper, markers Before class, make sure the I Love You sponge that came from the dissolving pellet is dry. Say: It s clear from the story Jesus told that God wants us to love our enemies. But it s not always easy. Our enemies may not listen to us. They might still be mean. They might even be dangerous. But there are ways we can show love that are safe. Let s take a minute to think about those. Let children call out ideas for showing love that aren t dangerous or too difficult. These might include praying for the person, mailing the person an anonymous note of kindness, or offering to do a small task for the person. Show children the I Love You sponge that came from the dissolving pellet. Say: There s a good reason that Jesus wants us to love our enemies. He wants God s kingdom to grow and grow with love. He wants us to take the love he gives us and do something with it! Let s put one of our ideas for showing love to others into action. Pour a small amount of paint onto a paper plate. Place the construction paper, markers, and paint where students can reach them. Demonstrate how to lightly dip the sponge into the paint and use it to stamp an impression on a sheet of construction paper. Encourage children to use the sponge and other supplies to make cards of kindness for someone who has been mean to them. Suggest messages such as, I m praying for you, or God loves you. If students feel comfortable signing their names and giving these to the person who has been mean, they can do so. If they re not comfortable with that approach, they can give the cards anonymously. As kids work, ask: How do you think the person who gets your card will feel? (Glad that someone likes him; encouraged; curious about who likes her.) Say: We can help one another love our enemies. When others treat us badly, we can rely on our friends to show us kindness. And most of all, Jesus can help us. When we re feeling discouraged because of mean people, we can remember that Jesus loves us all the time and he shows love to everyone no matter how mean they are. Jesus knows how we feel. Let s thank Jesus for his help and understanding. If any of the children feel comfortable praying aloud, let them do so now. Then pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for the love you show us even when we don t deserve it. We know that you understand our feelings when others are mean to us. Help us to have the courage to be kind when others are mean. We love you. Amen. 129

Lesson 11 HANDS-ON BIBLE Say: The story Jesus told about the good Samaritan reminds us to be kind all the time. Let s learn more! Have children open their Hands-On Bibles to Luke 10 and find the activity near the story of the good Samaritan. After kids have read the directions, provide self-sticking name tags and markers so they can complete the activity. Say: Let s all be Super Samaritans this week as we show God s love to everyone! If your class is large, use hearts cut from construction paper in addition to the cedar hearts. n Praying for Others SUPPLIES: Bible, CD player Cue the CD player to Love and Pray (Matthew tracks 17, 18 5:44) (track 17). Say: Our Bible verse is Matthew 5:44, which says, But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! Let s play a game and hear a song to help us put this verse into practice. Designate one child to be the Messenger, and give this child all of the cedar hearts. Have the other kids scatter around the room, stand still, close their eyes, and each hold out a cupped hand. Say: This activity will help us practice giving love away. When I ring the bell, the Messenger is going to start giving away the cedar hearts. As soon as you receive a cedar heart, you may begin walking around slowly, but you must keep your eyes closed. When you bump into someone, open your eyes, give your cedar heart to that person, and then close your eyes and stand still. At times, you may have more than one cedar heart. If this happens, give away only one cedar heart at a time. Begin playing the game, playing Love and Pray (Matthew 5:44) (track 17) as kids move around the room. When the song is over, have kids open their eyes. Have children redistribute the cedar hearts so that everyone has one. Have kids sit in a circle on the floor. Ask: In this activity, could you pick and choose who you wanted to give your cedar hearts to? Explain. (No, we gave them to whoever was nearby; no, we gave them to whoever we bumped into.) Say: Jesus faced many enemies while he was on earth. He is a perfect example of how we re to treat those who might not love us. Let s listen to some people who we might not feel like helping. Play Who Will Help You? (track 18) on the CD. Say: At the end of our CD segment, a voice said, Father, forgive them. That s what Jesus said from the cross in Luke 23:34. Ask a volunteer to read this verse. Jesus shared his love even with those who hurt him. Many of our enemies won t love us back when we show love to them. Some people may even hurt us. 130

Parable of the Good Samaritan Ask: According to Matthew 5:44, what should we do when people continue to be mean? (Pray for them; love them.) Say: Let s do this right now. Silently pray for someone who has been mean to you. Think of someone who has hurt you or who you might think of as an enemy, and pray for him or her. When you re done praying, hand me your cedar heart to show that you ve demonstrated love through your prayer. After children pray silently, play track 17 again, and encourage kids to sing along. Lyrics are at the end of this book. When the song is over, put the cedar hearts away. Closing n Lessons in Love SUPPLIES: none Take out the graduation cap and gold coins. Have kids form a circle, and give each child a gold coin. Keep a gold coin for yourself. Say: A graduation cap usually shows that someone has learned a lot and is ready to face bigger and better challenges. Today you ve learned many things about loving your enemies. Let s go around the circle and share one thing that you re going to do this week because of what we ve learned today. When you share, drop your gold coin in the graduation cap. Begin by dropping your gold coin into the graduation cap and sharing one thing you ll do this coming week. Then pass the graduation cap to the person on your right. When everyone has shared, place the graduation cap in the center of the circle. Say: God wants us to love our enemies. Today we ve graduated from hating our enemies to loving them. This week keep praying for the person you prayed for earlier. Remember, that person may not love you back. But God will be pleased that you re showing his love to everyone. Put away the graduation cap and gold coins. If you have more than 19 kids in your class, use the cedar hearts in addition to the gold coins. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week s topic. 131

Saved by a Samaritan A Jew went on a trip. (Walk in a circle.) But he was attacked by robbers. (Beat fists into palms.) They tore his clothes and took his money. (Pretend to tear clothes and empty out pockets.) They left him lying there, almost dead. (Hang arms to side with head down, going limp.) A Jewish priest came by and saw the man. (Walk, and then look down at something horrible.) But he hurried by on the other side. (Run in place.) Later, a Levite came along. (Walk around in a circle.) He looked at the beaten man, but quickly walked on. (Hold hand to eyes, and then walk away.) Then a hated Samaritan came along. (Walk, and then look down with concern.) He bandaged the man s wounds. (Pretend to wrap something around arms and legs.) He put the Jew on his own donkey and took him to an inn. (Knock on a door or wall.) The Samaritan paid the innkeeper money to feed and care for the hurt man. (Pretend to reach hand in pocket and place money in other hand.) 132 Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

LESSON 11 God wants us to love our enemies. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:44). Gather as a family to discuss these questions: When does it feel like we re enemies in our own home? How can we show more love in our home? What are you willing to do this week to make our home a more loving place? Create a card for someone you ve been having trouble getting along with. Stick a bandage on the front, and write, Let s patch things up soon. Or you may want to include a stick of gum and have the card say, Let s chews to be friends! When you give the card away, follow up by doing something with that person later in the week. Read Luke 6:27-31. How might your feelings toward your enemies change if you do the things in this passage? Read Mark 12:29-31. How will loving God help you love others more? Read 1 John 4:7-12. Think of five ways that you can show God s love to someone who doesn t love you. Plan to follow through this week! The Samaritan Rap Make up a rap tune to this poem, and perform it for your family. Afterward, talk about any difficulties you may have loving people. Gather in a circle, and take turns praying for one another to be able to show God s love. There was a certain man Going down from Jericho. He came from Jerusalem When thieves struck their blows. His money was taken, And he was left for dead. The priest passing by Just turned his head. The Levite also Passed on the other side. He could have helped If he had tried. A certain Samaritan Had compassion for him, Doctored his wounds And took him to an inn. The Samaritan left money When he departed. It showed he had love And was goodhearted. Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 133