YEA Lesson Library
Who is My Neighbor?
About This Lesson
Using the parable of the good Samaritan, this lesson encourages the student to be willing to help others.
Scriptures
Matt 5:43-48
Matt 19:19
Matt 22:36-40
Mark 12:28-31
Luke 10:25-37
Luke 10:27
Rom 13:9, 10
James 2:8, 9
Words to Know
EXPERT - someone who knows everything about a subject
CRIPPLED - unable to walk
PRIEST - something like a minister
SAMARITAN - a person from the land of Samaria
The Lesson
One day a man said, “Jesus, what does a man have to do to live forever.” What a good question! Have you ever asked a question like that? It is something everyone needs to know. The man who asked the question was an expert in God’s law. So Jesus said, “What does the law say about it?”
The man thought for a minute. Then he remembered that the law says you must “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.” You should also love your neighbor as yourself.
“That’s right,” Jesus said. “Do this and you will live forever.”
But this man didn’t like some kinds of people. He probably didn’t like poor people. He may not have liked people who were a different color from him. He probably didn’t like to be around people who were sick or crippled. Jesus’ answer bothered the man. He asked, “Who is my neighbor? So, Jesus told him a story to help him understand.
A man went on a trip from Jerusalem to the town of Jericho. He met some bandits on the way. Bandits are really bad people. They steal from other people. The bandits attacked the man. They took all of his clothes. Then they beat him. They left him lying half dead beside the road.
A religious man came walking by.
He was a priest. He saw the poor man lying by the road. But he didn’t help. He went to the other side of the road. He left the man there naked and hurting.
Then a man who worked in the Temple came by. He walked over and looked at the man but didn’t stop to help either.
Finally a Samaritan man came by. Samaritans were not liked very much. But the Samaritan was a very kind man. He felt sorry for the poor man who had been beaten. He put medicine and bandages on the man’s cuts. Then he put the man on his donkey. They didn’t have cars back then. The Samaritan walked along beside the man on the donkey until they came to an inn. An inn is like a hotel.
The next day the Samaritan gave the innkeeper some money. He asked him to take care of the man. He said, “If I owe you more than this, I will pay you when I come back.”
Now, who do you think was a good neighbor to this poor man? You’re right, it was the Samaritan. Jesus told the man who had asked the question, to go and help people like the Samaritan had done.
Don’t you want to be like the Samaritan? Have you ever seen someone who needed help? Maybe your friend tripped on a step and skinned his knee. Or, maybe someone didn’t feel well in your class. When your mom, dad, or someone in your family is sick, you can be like the Samaritan and help. When you show love to people, you show love to God. Jesus wants you to do both. People don’t have to live on your block to be your neighbor. Anyone can be your neighbor.
Student Prayer
Dear God and Father, thank you for this beautiful lesson. We learned about the way the Samaritan helped the injured man. Help me to be a good neighbor. If I see someone who has been hurt, I want to help him. Please show me how. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 5:43-48
Monday - Matthew 19:19
Tuesday - Matthew 22:36-40
Wednesday - Mark 12:28-31
Thursday - Luke 10:25-27
Friday - Romans 13:9, 10
Saturday - James 2:8, 9
YEAH — At-Home Activity
1. This Little Light of Mine. Ask the students to recite the memory verse. (Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Luke 10:27) Point out to them that this is not the whole verse. The entire verse in the NIrV is this: “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ “ Then ask them how they demonstrate that they love God with all of their heart, soul, strength, and mind. After they’ve brainstormed some ways, read the lesson to them. Discuss the actions which demonstrate that we love God. Those actions of loving God are how we let our light shine. Give each student a piece of drawing/sketch paper. Let them draw a lamp/light. Write the memory verse across the bottom of the page.
2. Make a Card. Ask the students to think of someone they know who could really use some encouragement (neighbor, friend, family member, church family). Talk a little about why they need encouragement, what they are going through. Read the lesson with the students. Then let the students create a homemade card to give/send to someone who needs the lift. Help them find appropriate scripture verses to include. Have stickers, markers, crayons, colored pencils, stencils, stamps, paper punches, ribbons, glue, scissors, etc. to make the cards special and unique. Alternate idea: make a 3-D flower bouquet out of construction paper, scissors, straws (for stems), glue, stapler, etc.
3. Frame Positive Attributes. Read the lesson with the students. Then talk about the fact that Jesus gave a concrete example of showing your love to God by helping your neighbor. It’s not too early to start thinking about the talents and strengths each person has been given by God. One child might be a really good listener. One child might have a bubbly personality and bright smile. Another child might be very sensitive to the attitudes and moods of people around them. Another child might love to draw pictures to give to others. Help them recognize their strengths. Give each student an 10 x 8 piece of cardstock. If possible, let them choose the color they prefer. Then write their name is big bold letters in the center of the page. Write strengths, talents, gifts around their name. Encourage them to take it home and have their parents add to it before framing it. We need to encourage people to work from their strengths. If God gives you a talent, use it!
4. Heart Reminder. Read the lesson with the students. Discuss the memory verse, Luke 10:27: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul. Point out to them that this is not the whole verse. The entire verse in the NIrV is this: “He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength and with all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ “ Talk about the fact that sometimes you don’t know who God wants you to help. The Levite, the priest, and the Samaritan were walking down the road. It wasn’t someone they already knew needed help; it was someone they came across. It’s important to be ready to help others when you see a need. (Discuss the importance of not putting yourself into danger. Get an adult to help you!!) The goal is to honor God and to show your love for God through your actions. After the discussion, give each student a piece of sketch paper to draw various hearts surrounding the memory verse. They may choose to write various activities on the hearts.
5. All of Me Bookmark. Read the lesson with the students. Give each student a piece of cardstock 4.25 x 7 inches. Have them draw themselves on the piece of white cardstock. Cut out the drawing. Then trace around the drawing and cut it out as well. (You’ll have a front and a back of the student.) Then give them a 2 x 10-inch strip of cardstock in the color of their choice. Glue the front of the person on one side and the back on the other side of the strip. Then write the memory verse on the strip and cover the whole thing with clear contact paper. Then cut out the bookmark again, leaving a margin of clear contact paper around the person so it doesn’t peel apart. Send the bookmark home with them as a reminder to read their Bible, do the daily devotion, and work on their memory verse every day.
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Recognize that “their neighbor” includes those who need help, and is not limited to people on their block.
2. Explain that they show love to God by loving their neighbor.
3. Explain that they have a responsibility to help people who need help and are hurting.
4. Recite their memory verse.
Topics & Themes
God’s Law
God’s Love
God’s Provision
Helping Others
Jesus, His Ministry
Jesus Sets Example
Kindness
Loving God
Loving Others
Parable of Good
Samaritan
Samaritans
Ten Commandments
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA student’s and teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, music player and music CD/tape, songbook, Good Samaritan picture, or magazine pictures of injured people, First aid kit with gauze, tape, etc., large Band-Aids, marker pen, perfect attendance and memory verse ribbons and pins.
Preparation
Six to eight year old children are curious and enjoy learning new things. However, they learn best when they have lots of bright, exciting things to see, hear, touch, move and do. Just telling the story may not be enough for this age group to understand and remember it well. They need visual aids to help them comprehend, remember and apply the principles in the Bible. Check with your local Christian book store for colorful posters to illustrate your story. You may find pictures of sick or injured people in magazines to use as illustrations.
Bring a first aid kit, Band-Aids, gauze, tape, etc. to demonstrate how the Samaritan bound up the man’s wounds in our story.
During the review part of today’s lesson, a large Band-Aid could be put on each child’s arm. Use a marker pen to write “Be Kind” on each Band-Aid. Let them keep it on to show their parents. This will be a reminder of the lesson and provide a chance for the child to retell the story to their parents.
Since this is the last lesson in this first book, an award should be given for perfect attendance, and for those who have recited all of their memory verses in this book. You may make your own ribbons or you may purchase them at your local Christian book store.
How to Teach This Lesson
As the children arrive, greet them warmly, and begin a conversation by asking if they have ever had an accident in which they were hurt. This may have been a car accident or a bicycle accident. They may have had a cut, or even a broken bone.
Some may want to show you their scars. Tell the children that today they will hear a story about a man who was badly injured, and people walked past and didn’t even help. As you tell the story, weave a strong application that will illustrate how we show our love to God by helping others.
Explain to the children that we all love our own bodies. We feed them, we put clothes on them, we take care of them when they are hurt or sick. But, when it comes to loving others, we often forget that we are to do the same for them.
The men in today’s lesson who passed by the man as he lay injured in the road were more concerned about their own comfort than in the health and well-being of their neighbor. They demonstrated selfishness rather than generosity, loathing rather than love.
When asked by a lawyer what a man must do to live forever, Jesus referred him to the law. The Jews were a very prejudice people. There were people with whom they would have no contact whatsoever. The lawyer thought he would be able to keep the first part of Jesus’ command, but he didn’t like the idea that he must love these people as much as he loved himself. The lawyer tried to avoid the issue by asking the question, “Who is my neighbor?” But, Jesus reemphasized His message by giving the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Ask the children the following questions:
1. What would you do if your little brother fell off of his bike and hurt his leg? (Go get help.)
2. What would you do if you came home from school and found your grandfather lying on the bathroom floor? (Call 911 or go for help.)
3. If you saw a stranger in the park and he said that he felt sick, what should you do? (For the children’s safety, it is imperative that you teach them to go to an adult they know or call 911 before assisting a stranger.)
Review Questions
1. What two things does the law say we must do to live forever?
2. Who does the Bible mean when it says, “Love your neighbor?”
3. What happened to the man on the road to Jericho?
4. How did the Samaritan man show his love?
5. Can you think of some ways you can show love for your “neighbor?”
Give each child a large Band-Aid to place on his arm to remind them of the story.
Teacher-Directed Activity
Have the class sit in a circle. Tell the first child to say: I show love to Jesus when I __________. The next child says: I show love to Jesus when I _________ and _________. Continue around the circle having each child repeat what everyone before them said, and then adding their own way of showing love to Jesus. These ways could be helping someone who is sick, injured, fallen down steps, being kind to a new person on the block, giving food to a hungry person, etc. Instead of eliminating a child who can’t remember what the others have said, have the children give hints so that everyone can enjoy the game.
REACH Activity
1. Use a Bible map to find Jerusalem and Jericho. Draw them upon a large piece of paper or poster board and label Jerusalem and Jericho. Show the man’s trip by using the outline of footprints along his way. Use the map to retell the story. The footprints will help keep events in order.
2. Create a maze of the man’s trip from Jerusalem to Jericho.
3. Role play the story of the Good Samaritan. Be sure to read the story in the Bible (Luke 10:25- 37) before you start.
4. Who were the Samaritans? Use your Bible and a concordance or a Bible dictionary to find out more.
5. Write a front page/headline news article about the Samaritan story. Include interviews with the following: Man, Samaritan, priest, Temple worker, and innkeeper. Each person should tell his own point of view as to what happened and why.
6. Make a list of people who you know and help. Next to their name, write what you can do to help them. Share your list with your parents. Ask them to help you be a good samaritan.
7. How can you love your neighbor? Make a list of how to love them. Choose one way to show them love and then do it. Get your parent’s permission first. Possibly you can do it as a family.
8. Create a comic strip of children helping others. Give the comic strip a title. Each time you think of a way that children could help others, add to the comic strip. Share with family or friends.
9. Think of someone you don’t like. If you saw that person lying injured on the ground, what would you do? Is this what God wants you to do? How can you change your attitude, if you need to?
10. Sometimes it is hard to want to help someone you don’t like. The best place to start is with prayer. Pray for people that you don’t like. Pray that God will bless them. It’s hard to do that at first, but if you really mean it, you will find you don’t dislike them as much as you used to.
11. Practice the memory verse by writing “your God,” “your heart,” and “your soul,” on index cards. Use them to help practice the memory verse.
12. Sing: “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” on page 17 of the Kids Classics Collection. Talk about how this song relates to this lesson.
13. Sing: “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam” on page 21 of the Kids Classics Collection.
14. Sing: “This Is My Commandment” on page 4 of the Kids Classics Collection.
15. Do a sword drill with the Daily Devotional Scriptures. (See Notes section for directions.)
16. Lesson matching. Write a sentence about each YEA lesson on an index card (one lesson per card). Then write lesson titles on ten more index cards. Match the cards or play concentration with a family member.
17. Memory verse. Write the memory verse from each lesson on an index card (one verse on each card). On another ten index cards write the Scripture reference. Match the cards or play concentration with a family member.
Song
“This Little Light of Mine” is on page 49 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Either lead in prayer or call on one of the children to pray. Remind the child to ask God to help us show our love to Him by helping others this week.
Printable Pages
