When I was young, one of my favorite movies to watch with my sisters was Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (if you haven't seen it, its basically a riff on Romeo and Juliet. And its on Disney+). Following the events of the first Lion King movie, Scars descendants are banished to the Outlands, while Simba's family stays in the Pridelands. Due to their tragic history, these two groups of lions hate each other.
| One day, Simba's daughter, Kiara, meets one of Scar's relatives, Kovu. Despite hating each other's families, they see something good in one another and they fall in love. They must help their prides see the good in one another and stop being enemies. [A pride is a group of lions, if you wondered]. This is kind of like what Jesus does in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In Jesus' time, the Jewish people and the Samaritan people hated each other. They disagreed on many things, and they had a difficult history. |  |
Yet, Jesus made a Samaritan man a hero in the story. He tried to show his Jewish listeners that even people we don't like can do good things and follow God! Sometimes we need help to see people in a new way.
We know that Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. With this story, Jesus teaches us to love and help even people we don't like. We can start by trying to see the good in them.
Read the story in Luke 10:25-37 or in your SPARK Storybook Bible on page 360.
Prayer of the Day:
Dear Jesus, you ask us to help other people, even people we don’t like. That can be hard. Help us to learn to see everyone as your precious child. Amen.
We know that Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. With this story, Jesus teaches us to love and help even people we don't like. We can start by trying to see the good in them.
Read the story in Luke 10:25-37 or in your SPARK Storybook Bible on page 360.
- How would you feel if you were hurt and no one stopped to help you?
- Why do you think the Samaritan stopped to help the hurt man? Why do you think the other people didn't stop to help him?
- Do you think the hurt man was surprised that a Samaritan came to help? Have you ever been surprised that someone helped you?
- Are you ever afraid to help?
- What do you think the innkeeper thought of the Samaritan's generosity?
Prayer of the Day:
Dear Jesus, you ask us to help other people, even people we don’t like. That can be hard. Help us to learn to see everyone as your precious child. Amen.
Activities
Helping Hands
Trace your hand on a piece of paper (or, if you want a messy option, paint your hand and then stamp it on a paper!). Around your handprint, write the ways you help others (e.g. "I help ____ by doing ____."-- "I help my parents by taking out the garbage.") Can you think of any new things you can do to help?
Acting out the Story
Have each person in your family pick out a character to be in this story (priest, Levite, hurt man, Samaritan, innkeeper). As you read it, act out your role (costumes, optional!). Once you're done reading, think about what your character said and did. What did you learn about your character? What do you think your character was feeling and thinking?
Seeing in a New Way (older kids, adults)
Pick an object and place it on a table. From where you are sitting, note what it looks like. Then, go sit somewhere else-- on the other side of the room, farther away, or even hanging upside down! How does your view change? What does the object look like now?
Just as objects look different depending on where we're sitting, so do people. We are going to use our imaginations to try and see in a new way. Think of someone you struggle to like. How can you see this person in a new way?
How do you see them differently after this exercise?
Trace your hand on a piece of paper (or, if you want a messy option, paint your hand and then stamp it on a paper!). Around your handprint, write the ways you help others (e.g. "I help ____ by doing ____."-- "I help my parents by taking out the garbage.") Can you think of any new things you can do to help?
Acting out the Story
Have each person in your family pick out a character to be in this story (priest, Levite, hurt man, Samaritan, innkeeper). As you read it, act out your role (costumes, optional!). Once you're done reading, think about what your character said and did. What did you learn about your character? What do you think your character was feeling and thinking?
Seeing in a New Way (older kids, adults)
Pick an object and place it on a table. From where you are sitting, note what it looks like. Then, go sit somewhere else-- on the other side of the room, farther away, or even hanging upside down! How does your view change? What does the object look like now?
Just as objects look different depending on where we're sitting, so do people. We are going to use our imaginations to try and see in a new way. Think of someone you struggle to like. How can you see this person in a new way?
- Imagine how their family sees them, how their friends see them, and how God see them.
- Imagine what this person cares about or likes to do for fun.
- Imagine how this person might be like you.
How do you see them differently after this exercise?
Bonus: Lent activity
Play-doh Confession and Forgiveness
Get some play-doh or other molding clay. As you mold it, talk to God about something you've done wrong or something that is bothering you. When you are done praying, smash it! Form it into a heart shape. God forgives you and gives you a new heart that loves others. Say it to yourself, "I am forgiven and given a new heart. Amen!"
Get some play-doh or other molding clay. As you mold it, talk to God about something you've done wrong or something that is bothering you. When you are done praying, smash it! Form it into a heart shape. God forgives you and gives you a new heart that loves others. Say it to yourself, "I am forgiven and given a new heart. Amen!"
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