Love Your Neighbor

---

4th/5th Grade – Feb 18

The Life of Jesus  Lesson 7

Love Your Neighbor Bible Verse “You are a Jew,” she replied, “and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink of water when Jews and Samaritans won’t have anything to do with each other?” (John 4:9)

Teacher Enrichment This lesson is the seventh in the Life of Jesus series which examines how Jesus is our best example for inclusion. Jesus included everyone in his ministry from simple fishermen, to government leaders and kings; from devout followers to those considered sinners; and from old to young. Each week will explore the various ways and people Jesus chose to serve and teach. During Jesus’ time on earth, the division between Samaritans and Jews was longstanding. So many factors – culture, politics, religion and ethnicity – had combined to create bitterness and hatred. Think Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland or Serbs and Muslims in Bosnia and you have an idea of the conflict. The scripture for this lesson finds Jesus and his disciples, Jews, travelling from Judea to Galilea, by way of Samaria. As Jesus waits at a well, a Samaritan woman approaches. For a man to speak to a woman, let alone a Jewish man to a Samaritan woman, was unheard of and shocking. Yet, Jesus did just that. Jesus broke the barrier of “difference” and spoke to her of God. In today’s world we often celebrate diversity publically, but still personally harbor resentment, mistrust or lack of understanding of those who differ from us in race, religion, politics, gender, country of origin and many more. Through Jesus’ example we are called to love ALL of our neighbors, including those who are different than us. This lesson will teach children that humans may see earthly differences, but God looks at the heart. They will explore ways to love, accept and interact with those who may seem different from them.

Before Class Begins  Place the Sign In sheet and a pen where parents can see it upon arrival.  Place the Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards and pens where students can see them upon arrival.  Check that you have supplies for this lesson: - Arrival Activity, Love Thy Neighbor activity sheet – 1 per child - Paper plates - Ways I Love My Neighbor cutout – 1 per child - Construction paper hearts  Place an arrival activity at each place on the table.

Welcome SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards, Attendance chart, stickers, Love Thy Neighbor activity sheet, pencils/pens  Greet each child individually as they arrive. Introduce yourself by name.  Help children find or add their name on the attendance chart. Provide each child  

  

with a sticker to place in today’s column on the attendance chart. Encourage children to complete a Joy or Concern card if they have a particular joy or concern they would like to express. Collect completed Joy & Concern cards. Encourage children to complete a Time or Talent offering card if they gave their time to God or used their talents to serve God or others during the previous week. Children should keep their own completed Time and Talent cards. If children bring monetary offering, they should keep it with them. Direct children to complete their Love Thy Neighbor activity sheet. Encourage conversation among the children and with you! Get to know the children in your classroom by asking about their week including school, activities and families. Introduce new children to each other and encourage friendships.

Children’s Worship SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards The Life of Jesus  Lesson 7

 Arrive at Ruth Hall at 9:20 or 11:05.  Bring the Sign In sheet and completed Joy & Concern cards to Ruth Hall. Hand the     

Joy & Concern cards to the Children’s Worship leader as you arrive. Have children bring their completed Time & Talent cards and any monetary offering. If additional children arrive while in Ruth Hall, have parents complete the Sign In sheet and remind parents that pickup is in Room 110. Encourage children to participate in Children’s Worship and provide re-direction if necessary. Assist the Children’s Worship leader as needed. At the conclusion of Children’s Worship, have children line up and return to Room 110.

The Lesson SUPPLIES: Paper plates, Ways I Love My Neighbor cutouts, construction paper hearts, markers/colored pencils, glue

SAY: Today we learned about loving and including people who are different from us. Jesus did not exclude people who were different from Him and we need to follow His example. But that doesn’t always happen. Just like in Children’s Worship where most of you ended up excluded from the selfie, we sometimes exclude people based on their differences. ASK: Can you think of a time when you were left out of a group? Why and how did it feel? Allow 1 or 2 children to briefly share. ASK: Now, has there been a time when you left someone else out of a group? Why? Allow 1 or 2 children to briefly share. ASK: Just like with the selfie in Children’s Worship today, sometimes we find it easier to separate people or leave people out. What are some ways we divide people today? It might be a way you divide people day to day or a way the world divides people. Create two columns on the white board. Allow children to share their ideas and record them on one side of the white board. If they struggle to generate ideas, you can provide some suggestions: Where you live (country, neighborhood), The Life of Jesus  Lesson 7

school you go to, favorite sports team, athletic or not, race, religion, politics, rich/poor, age, etc. SAY: Even in this group, we have differences. But as Christians, we are supposed to love our neighbor, even if they are different from us. We need to love one another! We have a list of ways we divide each other. Let’s think of ways we can come together and love our neighbor. Write the phrase “I can love my neighbor by…” at the top of the second column on the white board. Allow children to share their ideas and record them on the other side of the white board. If they struggle to generate ideas, you can provide some suggestions: Respecting them, Getting to know them, Trusting them, Encouraging them, Helping those in need, Agreeing to disagree, Asking about their culture, Telling them about God, Listening to them, Being kind to them SAY: Today we are going to make a craft to help us remember these ways to show love to our neighbors. It is a heart wreath. The middle of our wreath says “Ways I Love My Neighbor.” On the outside of the wreath are hearts with ways to love your neighbor written on them. You can use the list we made today for ideas or add your own ideas.  Show children the sample Heart Wreath craft.  Give each child a paper plate, a Ways I Love My Neighbor cutout.  Place construction paper hearts in the middle of the table.  Direct children to color the Ways I Love My Neighbor cutout, cut it out and then

glue it to the center of their paper plate.  Direct children to write ideas on the construction paper hearts and then glue the hearts to the edge of the paper plate. If there is time while the children are creating their heart wreaths or at the end, read the scenarios below and ask children for solutions.

There is a new student in your class from Africa. How would you make her feel welcome? A boy in your class is from Mexico and cannot understand his homework written in English. How can you help him? The Life of Jesus  Lesson 7

Your neighbor from Syria wears a head scarf. Some kids don’t want to play with her. What could you do to help her make friends? Everyone in your school secretly makes fun of this Jewish boy because he wears a yarmulke on his head. What would you do? You know a certain person in your Sunday school class that always sits alone. The teacher chose you to be his partner for an activity. How would you react? Your Sunday school class has a visitor who believes in a different religion. How would you introduce him to Jesus? Your teacher announces that there will be several new children attending your school, who are refugees from a different country. How can you help them fit in? The new kid on your block has a very thick accent, and you can hardly understand the way he talks. The other kids make fun of him. What can you do?

Closing  Lead the children in a closing prayer. You may say your own prayer, ask one of the

children to say a prayer or use the one below. God, It is not always easy to love our neighbor. Please help us show love to everyone regardless of our differences. Amen  If time remains before parents arrive, encourage children to return to their Love Thy Neighbor activity sheet if they did not complete it. Also encourage conversation between children and with you. This is another opportunity to build relationships with the children in your classroom!

The Life of Jesus  Lesson 7

Ways I Love My Neighbor Craft

The Life of Jesus  Lesson 7