Lesson 14: Proper Humanity – Love (3)
Note: The practical applications provided in the lesson are offered as suggestions to help the brothers and sisters in their preparation. They are not meant to direct or limit the ways in which the focus of the lesson can be applied. The brothers and sisters are encouraged to pray and contact the Lord to receive His burden and guidance in teaching and applying the lesson. Fellowship with other brothers and sisters, and inquiring of the children themselves, may also bring out many helpful applications.
Verse: “Honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 19:19).
Focus: A proper person loves their parents and their neighbors. The Lord told us that we should love and care for those who live around us.
Scripture: Luke 10:25-37
Bible Story: One day a man asked the Lord Jesus a question. The man knew that the Bible says we should love our neighbor. He wanted to know what that means—who are our neighbors? To answer his question Jesus told a story called a parable. A parable is a story that explains something or teaches a lesson. The Lord Jesus told about a man who was traveling from one city to another. While he was walking down the road some robbers came and beat him and took everything he had—even his clothes! One man from the area saw the hurt man lying there and walked past him on the other side of the road. The next man that came down the road also didn’t stop but walked past him without helping at all. A third man who was from a city called Samaria came down the road. The Samaritan man felt so badly for the hurt man! He stopped and took care of him. He cleaned the man’s wounds and put bandages on them. The Samaritan brought the hurt man to an inn where he could rest and get better. This story shows that our neighbors are the people around us, not just the people we know very well.
Practical Application: The Bible tells us that we need to love our parents and those who are near us. The Lord Jesus said that after loving God Himself, loving those around us is the most important thing! Our parents are those closest to us so surely we should love them, and SHOW them we love them! Our neighbors can be those who live near us or those who go to our school. Ask the children who their own neighbors are. Find out how they treat them. Ask the children how they can show that they love their parents. How about their neighbors? Some practical applications/ suggestions might be: saying “I love you”; showing good manners; helping with groceries or other chores; being quiet when they’re resting; holding a door for them. At school the children can help a classmate with something he or she might have trouble with, or share their snack with a classmate who doesn’t have one.
Suggested Songs: Matthew Volume 2 BSS #20 The Great Command; #19 (When We’re Kind to Others)
NY Version 2016 – These lessons are used with permission from the church in Irvine, and have been further edited by us for our use with preschoolers and early elementary school children in the church in New York City. Please do not distribute without permission.