Matthew 18; Luke 10
"What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?"
Materials: a robe, a cup, a cloth or rag, something that can be used as money, costumes (optional)
Opening Song: "I'll Walk With You" (Children's Songbook, 140)
Opening Prayer:
Scripture: Luke 10: 27 "And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself."
Attention Activity:
Lesson:
Jesus was talking with his disciples when a lawyer asked him, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25) Jesus asked what the scriptures say and the lawyer answered by saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself." (Luke 10:27) The lawyer then asked Jesus, who is my neighbor? Instead of answering him directly, Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan. We are going to act out the parable for Family Home Evening today.
Activity: The Good Samaritan Play
(This play requires 3 people but there are optional parts for additional family members as needed)
--------------------------------------
The Good Samaritan: A Play For FHE
Cast: Narrator, Man, Samaritan
Optional Cast: Thief or Thieves, Priest, Levite, Innkeeper
Props Needed: a robe for the man, a cup, a cloth or rag to bind the wound, something that can be used as money
Narrator: A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when thieves came and robbed him.
Thief: (threatening) Give me all of your money! (Take robe off of man) This looks nice I think I’ll keep this! (Pretend to hit the man)
Narrator: The thieves stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and left him half dead.
Man: (Groan)
Narrator: By chance, there came a priest down the road. When he saw him lying on the ground, he passed by on the other side.
Priest walks by and sees the man lying on the ground. He goes around the man passing him on the other side.
Narrator: Likewise, a Levite came down the road and looked at the man. He also passed by on the other side of the road.
Levite walks by and looks at the man lying on the ground. The Levite passes the man on the other side.
Narrator: Then a Samaritan came down the road on a journey. He came to the spot where the man lay. And when he saw him, he took compassion and went to him.
Samaritan walks by and sees the man lying on the road. He runs up to him and looks over his body.
Samaritan: (worried) Are you okay? What happened to you? (Lovingly)Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.
Samaritan takes a cloth and ties it around the man’s head. He gives the man a drink.
Narrator: After, the Good Samaritan had bound the man’s wounds. He poured oil and wine and put the man on his own horse, and brought him to an inn and took care of him all night long. In the morning the Samaritan prepared to leave and found the innkeeper.
Samaritan: (to the innkeeper)Here is two dollars. Please take care of this man. If this is not enough money, I will pay you more when I come back.
Innkeeper: Okay
-------------------------------------
Three people passed by the robbed man on the road: the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan. All of these men were the man's neighbor, because we are all children of God. Only one, the Samaritan, was a good neighbor. He represented what it means to "love thy neighbor as thyself" by showing compassion and mercy on the robbed man.
Who are our neighbors? How can we be like the Good Samaritan? Discuss with your family members if there is someone at work or school that might need help or a friend. What can we do to be more loving to our neighbors?
Bear your testimony of how being loving and showing charity to our fellow men can help keep us on the path to inherit eternal life.
Optional Activity: Coloring Page
Closing Song: "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" (Hymnal, 29)
Closing Prayer:
Refreshments:
