YEA Lesson Library
Food For Thought
About This Lesson
Using the story of Mary and Martha, this lesson teaches the importance of making God the priority in your life.
Scriptures
Job 23:12
Psalm 34:8
Psalm 119:103-104
Matthew 4:4
Luke 10:38-42
Luke 21:33
John 6:35
John 6:51
Colossians 3:16-17
Words to Know
TREASURED - considered to be very valuable
NECESSARY - something we must have
The Lesson
Pretend that company is coming for dinner. Mom is rushing to get ready. What could you do to help? She has to clean the house. Could you help her dust? You could pick up your toys. What else could you do?
Mom has to cook the food for dinner. She wants the table to look nice. Could you help set the table? Moms want everything to be ready when someone special comes to visit.
Mary and Martha were two of Jesus’ friends. They lived in Bethany with their brother Lazarus. Bethany was not far from Jerusalem. Jesus went there to visit when He was teaching in Jerusalem. He knew His friends would give Him a good meal. He always had a clean place to rest for the night.
It was always special when Jesus came to visit. Would you like to have Jesus come to your home? Look around, what would He find? Is your room a mess? Have you been fighting with your sister? Have you been saying bad words? Did you obey mom and dad? What would you change?
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus loved Jesus. They believed He was God’s Son. They listened to the stories He told. He taught them how to live and make God happy. They obeyed Jesus’ words. They looked forward to Jesus’ visits.
Jesus and His disciples were teaching in and around Jerusalem. At night they went to Mary and Martha’s house to rest. Mary and Martha must have been surprised by Jesus’ visit. Martha was rushing around to cook dinner for her guests. She had lots of work to do.
Martha was getting tired from all the work. She saw that Mary wasn’t helping. Mary was not in the kitchen. She wasn’t setting the table. She wasn’t serving her guests something to drink. Where was Mary?
Martha went looking for her sister. She went in the room where Jesus sat teaching. What do you think she saw? Mary was sitting on the floor at Jesus’ feet! She was listening to Jesus. She forgot about all the work that needed to be done.
How do you think Martha felt? She was upset. She told Jesus, “My sister isn’t helping me. Don’t you even care? Tell her to get up and help me!” Should Martha tell Jesus what to do?
Jesus didn’t get angry. He kindly said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried about the wrong thing.” Jesus said Mary had the right idea. She wanted to listen to Jesus. That is more important than cooking and cleaning. Jesus wanted the women to know how to live and please God.
Read your Daily Devotional every morning. God’s Word is important. He will help you in everything you do. Doing what God says is more important than what we eat.
Student Prayer
Dear God, I thank you for your Word, the Bible. Help me to read it everyday. Teach me to be like Mary, and treasure it more than food. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Colossians 3:16-17
Monday - Matthew 4:4
Tuesday - John 6:35
Wednesday - John 6:51
Thursday - Psalm 34:8
Friday - Psalm 119:103-104
Saturday - Luke 21:33
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, children will be able to:
1. State that to treasure something is to treat it as something very valuable.
2. Name the two women who were friends of Jesus.
3. Give the reason that Martha became upset with her sister, Mary.
4. Tell what Mary was doing instead of helping Martha.
5. Recite their memory verse.
Topics & Themes
Bethany
Bible Study
Helping Others
Holy Conduct
Honor Your Father and Mother
Jesus, God the Son
Jesus, Listen To
Lazarus
Mary and Martha
Obedience
Prayer
Ten Commandments
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students and teacher’s books, construction paper, diagram of the table setting, glue, scissors, crayons, clear Contact paper, broom, dustcloth, tablecloth or place mats, paper plates, paper cups, plastic ware and napkins, songbook, CD/cassette tape, music player, attendance and memory verse charts, stars
Preparation
Prayer and Bible study are integral parts of our Christian life. Don’t deny children this privilege simply because they cannot sit still for long periods of time. We are attempting to make our lessons, our daily devotionals and our memory verses short enough for even the active children to enjoy. Emphasize the importance of “hearing” and obeying the Words of God. It is to be “treasured . . . more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12 NIrV).
Encourage the children in your class to participate in the prayer time. They will not be able to verbalize long, eloquent prayers. Instead, involve the children in prayer in ways that will help them understand that prayer is something they can do. Invite them to say sentence prayers, make prayer requests and follow the model prayer written in the student’s book.
Before you come to class, enlarge and photocopy enough of the patterns for the plate, glass, napkin and silverware on construction paper so that each child will have one. On a blackboard or newsprint pad, draw the diagram of the table setting as an example for the children to follow.
You will want to bring a broom, dustcloth, tablecloth or place mats, paper plates, cups and plastic ware and napkins for the children to use when they pretend to prepare their house for the arrival of guests.
How to Teach This Lesson
Begin your class today by allowing students to pretend they are getting ready to have Jesus come to dinner. One child can sweep the floor and one can dust. Allow several to participate in setting the table. Explain that all of these things are nice, if they are done ahead of time. But, when your guest arrives, you will want to spend time with Him.
Emphasize the fact that the things that Martha was doing were not wrong in themselves. It was good that she wanted the house to be clean. It was thoughtful of her to prepare a meal for Jesus to eat. The problem was that she expected Mary to leave her place at Jesus’ feet, and go help her.
Jesus was concerned with eternal matters, more than He was earthly matters. He was more interested in the condition of a person’s heart than in the position of his body. Mary had her attention, her heart and her mind fixed on Jesus’ words. She was feeding on the Bread of Life – drinking at the fountain of living water. She was fully satisfied!
Stress that it is just as important for children to treasure God’s words as it is for adults. Remind them that their memory verse is short, so they should be able to memorize it easily. Hiding God’s Word in their hearts will help them resist Satan when he tries to tempt them to do bad things. Their daily devotionals are also short, and will help them understand the principles taught in each week’s lesson. By spending time each day “at the feet of Jesus,” they will be treasuring God’s words.
Review Questions
1. What does our memory verse mean when it says we should treasure God’s words?
2. Who were the two women that Jesus went to visit in Bethany?
3. Why did Martha get angry with her sister Mary?
4. What was Mary doing instead of helping Martha?
5. How did Jesus feel about what Mary was doing?
6. What are some things that you can do to show that you treasure God’s words?
Teacher-Directed Activity
Give each child a large (12x18") sheet of colored construction paper, and a sheet on which the pattern for the plate, glass, napkin and silverware have been enlarged and copied. Tell the children to color and decorate their plate and napkin. Next, carefully cut out each item and glue them to their place mat in the proper position, as shown by the teacher. The fork and napkin go to the left of the plate. The knife, spoon and glass go to the right of the plate. You can have the place mats laminated for the children, or you can cover them with clear Contact paper. The children can use their place mats to help them learn how to set the table at home.
REACH Activity
Special Materials Needed:
Fake decorating jewels, camera, frame
Activities:
1. Talk to your family about inviting someone from church to your house for a meal and fellowship. Ask how you can help out. Take a picture of your family and guest(s). Put the picture in a frame. Write about this special time in your Bible notebook.
2. Where is the town of Bethany?Use a Bible, Bible map, and encyclopedia to find Bethany. Draw a map in your Bible notebook. Label Bethany and draw a small house around the name. Label other nearby cities and bodies of water. Share with family and friends.
3. In your Bible notebook, describe what it would be like at your house if Jesus came to visit. List all the people in your family and the job each would have to help get everything ready. What would be on the menu? What would you talk about? How would everyone feel before and after He came to your house? Ask your family members to write how they would feel in your Bible notebook.
4. Use a Bible, concordance and encyclopedia to find out more information about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Write five facts about each person in your Bible notebook. Share with family and friends.
5. Would you be more like Mary or Martha if Jesus came to visit at your house? Why? Explain your answer by writing a paragraph in your Bible notebook. Share with family or friends.
6. Where do you think Lazarus was during Jesus’ visit? Do you think he was surprised when Martha told Jesus to make Mary help her? In your Bible notebook, describe what Lazarus might have been thinking and doing during Jesus’ visit.
7. Ask each member of your family if he/she would be more like busy Martha or listening Mary. Write their answers in your Bible notebook. Do their answers surprise you? Why or why not? Talk it over with your family.
8. Jesus said that Martha was worried about the wrong thing. Jesus said it is more important to listen to Him and please Him. Make a list of three things in your Bible notebook that you want to know or learn about Jesus or God, His Father, this week. Read the Bible together as a family. Next week ask someone else in the family to choose three things they want to learn. Be sure everyone has a turn. Look forward to studying and sharing the Bible together as a family!
9. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the more important thing. Does that mean you shouldn’t make your bed, clean your room, or take out the trash? What did Jesus mean?
10. Read Matthew 13:22 from the parable of the sower and the seed. How does this verse relate to what Jesus told Martha?
11. Sing: A. “A Christian Home” on page 138 of the CEM Hymnal. B. “Did You Think to Pray?” on page 170 of the CEM Hymnal. How do these songs relate to this week’s YEA lesson?
12. Sing: “The B-I-B-L-E” on page 18 of Kids Classics Collection.
13. Sing: “Thy Word is a Lamp” on page 190 of the CEM Hymnal. What Psalm does this song come from? Read Psalm 119. Write your favorite verse from this chapter in your Bible notebook.
14. Do a sword drill with this week’s Daily Devotionals. How does each of these Scriptures relate to the YEA lesson? Write your favorite in your Bible notebook.
More Information: Use the Daily Devotional Scriptures to have a sword drill. Read the Scripture reference to the child. Then start the timer. When the child has found the verse, stop the timer. Read the verse and talk about how it relates to the lesson. Challenge the child to see how quickly he/she can find each of the verses in the Bible.
15. Draw or trace a treasure chest. Write the memory verse on the front or lid. Practice until memorized.
16. Add Bible study as this week’s hidden treasure to your treasure chest. Attach some fake plastic jewels to the chest to continue decorating it.
17. Read Matthew 6:19-21. Make a list of treasures you could have on this earth. Then make another list of the treasures God has for you in His kingdom.
Song
“Thy Word Have I Hid In My Heart” is on page 75 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Ask if one of the children would like to lead in a prayer asking God to help them to treasure His Word - the Bible.
Printable Pages
