As Iron Sharpens Iron
Children's sermon
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First Thoughts: Today's lesson contains one of the most familiar passages in the Bible: "For God so loved the world..." Our children might even know it by heart! But for this lesson I want to broaden our focus a little, to consider Jesus' entire encounter with Nicodemus. In my experience, sermons written about Nicodemus seem to be pretty critical of him. He's a "foolish Pharisee" who can't even understand simple principles of faith. Or he's a coward, sneaking in to see Jesus in the dead of night so no one will see him. To me, though, Nicodemus is a good model of faith: he comes to be taught. He is willing to make himself vulnerable to Jesus, asking questions, pondering Jesus' answers. He does so not because he is testing Jesus, trying to reveal his fraudulence before the crowd, but because Nicodemus really wants to know and understand. Can you remember a time in your life when you were like Nicodemus and looking for answers? Were you as brave as Nicodemus, asking for help from others? Were your questions treated with kindness and hospitality? For us teachers, this lesson presents two challenges. First, are we willing to turn to a teacher when we are confused or troubled about a matter of faith? Second, do we welcome our own students' questions, creating hospitable space in our own hearts and minds for them to encounter the Christ within us? Take these challenges with you in a time of prayer.
Props You Will Need: none
Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 looking a bit angry or glum)
Leader 1: Hey (name) you seem as though you're troubled about something. Tell me about it.
Leader 2: You know I play on a soccer team, right? I'm actually a pretty good player, if I do say so myself.
Leader 1: Okay. Not seeing the problem yet.
Leader 2: See, a new guy just joined the team, and he used to play soccer on a PROFESSIONAL league. So he knows all kinds of plays and tricks with the ball, and...
Leader 1: Maybe you're feeling he's a better player than you?
Leader 2: Yeah. I look pretty bad next to him. I'm thinking about quitting the team.
Leader 1: I think maybe you're looking at this wrong. Instead of seeing this as something that makes you look bad, you could see it as a chance to get better yourself. It's like that line from Proverbs 27, "As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another."
Leader 2: Uh, what does that mean?
Leader 1: It means when we work together and learn from each other, we all get better at what we're doing. Just like our verse says -- one piece of iron helps to sharpen the other. It also reminds me of our passage today from John, about a man named Nicodemus. He was a Jewish leader and was supposed to understand things about the scriptures and about God. But still he was confused about some things Jesus was teaching. Instead of hiding his confusion or running away he came to Jesus to ask questions. He wanted to understand better. And you know what Jesus did?
Leader 2: What?
Leader 1: He taught Nicodemus! One of the most important things Jesus told him was that God didn't send Jesus into the world to judge people or show them how bad they are, but to help them get stronger in their faith, to make better choices, to live more compassionate lives. It was okay if Nicodemus was confused -- Jesus was happy to help. And the same is true for us. We don't need to be afraid of God or hide the fact that we're scared or uncertain about things. We can bring those things to God and let God teach us how to be stronger.
Leader 2: So you're saying that, if I stay on the team and play with my new teammate, I can become a better player?
Leader 1: I think you will and probably have a lot of fun too.
Teaching On Your Own: Hey, children, I have a problem and I'd like your advice. I play on a soccer team and just last week we got a new player. He used to play on a PROFESSIONAL league. So he knows all kinds of plays and tricks with the ball and... well, he's just a lot better than me. Have you ever been on a team where someone else was a lot better than you? How did you feel about it? I feel a little embarrassed to play with him. In fact I'm thinking about maybe quitting the team altogether. What do you think? Is that a good idea? Now that I think about it, it reminds me of a verse from Proverbs 27: "As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another." Anybody know what that means? It means when we work together and learn from each other, we all get better at what we're doing. Just like our verse says -- one piece of iron helps to sharpen the other. It also reminds me of our passage today from John, about a man named Nicodemus. He was a Jewish leader and was supposed to understand things about the scriptures and about God. But still he was confused about some things Jesus was teaching. Instead of hiding his confusion or running away he came to Jesus to ask questions. He wanted to understand better. And you know what Jesus did? He taught Nicodemus! One of the most important things Jesus told him was that God didn't send Jesus into the world to judge people or show them how bad they are, but to help them get stronger in their faith, to make better choices, to live more compassionate lives. It was okay if Nicodemus was confused -- Jesus was happy to help. And the same is true for us. We don't need to be afraid of God or hide the fact that we're scared or uncertain about things. We can bring those things to God and let God teach us how to be stronger. So do you think that, if I stay on the team and play with my new teammate, I can become a better player? Probably so and I'll probably have a lot of fun too.
Closing Prayer: Thank you, God, for loving us just as we are and for inviting us to bring our worries and doubts to you. We ask your blessings on those who teach us and on those who you send to us that we might also teach your good news to them. Help us to be wise and kind and patient with all who seek you. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson in a home or classroom setting, we're going to explore how this lesson teaches us about the Trinity. Explain to the children that today is Trinity Sunday, a time when we reflect on the mystery of how God reveals Godself to us in three different ways. You can use whatever Trinity language works best in your community, but I prefer language of God the Creator, God the Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, so that's what I'll use here. Help the children reflect on these different faces of God. What is God the Creator like? Here remind the children of the creation story, how the Creator only has to speak for the world to come into being. This face of God is vast, infinite, separate from but watching over creation. What is God the Christ like? Here you might remind the children of how Jesus was the Christ on earth -- very present to us, walking in our pain and our joys, showing us compassion, teaching us that we too are the children of God, and we too are the Christ. This is the face of God that is visible to us in the world and even in our own lives. What is God the Holy Spirit like? You can describe this the way Jesus does, as a Comforter, our link to God the Creator, helping us to understand what the Creator wants and intends for us and giving us strength to make good decisions. This face of God is the force that links the Christ (the created world) to the Creator -- like the internet or cell phones connect us to those we can't physically see. Help the children see how the Trinity operated in Jesus' teaching for Nicodemus. Nicodemus was created by God the Creator and was led to speak to Jesus through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, so Jesus could teach him that he himself could become God the Christ if he would allow God's love to bring him new life. For a craft invite each child to cut a large triangle out of poster board (or have triangles already cut out). Next invite them to cut out three circles, to represent Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Invite them to write one face of God on each circle and then place the circles on each point of the triangle. Finally invite the children to draw or describe each face of God on the triangle. Maybe they could also write prayers on their triangles with each aspect of God in mind (God of the universe, God who teaches and leads us, God who lives within us.) Punch a hole in the top of the triangle and hang it on a string, so the children can use it as a mobile somewhere. Close with a prayer that addresses God in all three ways.
Props You Will Need: none
Teaching As A Team:
(Leader 2 looking a bit angry or glum)
Leader 1: Hey (name) you seem as though you're troubled about something. Tell me about it.
Leader 2: You know I play on a soccer team, right? I'm actually a pretty good player, if I do say so myself.
Leader 1: Okay. Not seeing the problem yet.
Leader 2: See, a new guy just joined the team, and he used to play soccer on a PROFESSIONAL league. So he knows all kinds of plays and tricks with the ball, and...
Leader 1: Maybe you're feeling he's a better player than you?
Leader 2: Yeah. I look pretty bad next to him. I'm thinking about quitting the team.
Leader 1: I think maybe you're looking at this wrong. Instead of seeing this as something that makes you look bad, you could see it as a chance to get better yourself. It's like that line from Proverbs 27, "As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another."
Leader 2: Uh, what does that mean?
Leader 1: It means when we work together and learn from each other, we all get better at what we're doing. Just like our verse says -- one piece of iron helps to sharpen the other. It also reminds me of our passage today from John, about a man named Nicodemus. He was a Jewish leader and was supposed to understand things about the scriptures and about God. But still he was confused about some things Jesus was teaching. Instead of hiding his confusion or running away he came to Jesus to ask questions. He wanted to understand better. And you know what Jesus did?
Leader 2: What?
Leader 1: He taught Nicodemus! One of the most important things Jesus told him was that God didn't send Jesus into the world to judge people or show them how bad they are, but to help them get stronger in their faith, to make better choices, to live more compassionate lives. It was okay if Nicodemus was confused -- Jesus was happy to help. And the same is true for us. We don't need to be afraid of God or hide the fact that we're scared or uncertain about things. We can bring those things to God and let God teach us how to be stronger.
Leader 2: So you're saying that, if I stay on the team and play with my new teammate, I can become a better player?
Leader 1: I think you will and probably have a lot of fun too.
Teaching On Your Own: Hey, children, I have a problem and I'd like your advice. I play on a soccer team and just last week we got a new player. He used to play on a PROFESSIONAL league. So he knows all kinds of plays and tricks with the ball and... well, he's just a lot better than me. Have you ever been on a team where someone else was a lot better than you? How did you feel about it? I feel a little embarrassed to play with him. In fact I'm thinking about maybe quitting the team altogether. What do you think? Is that a good idea? Now that I think about it, it reminds me of a verse from Proverbs 27: "As iron sharpens iron so one person sharpens another." Anybody know what that means? It means when we work together and learn from each other, we all get better at what we're doing. Just like our verse says -- one piece of iron helps to sharpen the other. It also reminds me of our passage today from John, about a man named Nicodemus. He was a Jewish leader and was supposed to understand things about the scriptures and about God. But still he was confused about some things Jesus was teaching. Instead of hiding his confusion or running away he came to Jesus to ask questions. He wanted to understand better. And you know what Jesus did? He taught Nicodemus! One of the most important things Jesus told him was that God didn't send Jesus into the world to judge people or show them how bad they are, but to help them get stronger in their faith, to make better choices, to live more compassionate lives. It was okay if Nicodemus was confused -- Jesus was happy to help. And the same is true for us. We don't need to be afraid of God or hide the fact that we're scared or uncertain about things. We can bring those things to God and let God teach us how to be stronger. So do you think that, if I stay on the team and play with my new teammate, I can become a better player? Probably so and I'll probably have a lot of fun too.
Closing Prayer: Thank you, God, for loving us just as we are and for inviting us to bring our worries and doubts to you. We ask your blessings on those who teach us and on those who you send to us that we might also teach your good news to them. Help us to be wise and kind and patient with all who seek you. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
Follow-Up Lesson: To reinforce this lesson in a home or classroom setting, we're going to explore how this lesson teaches us about the Trinity. Explain to the children that today is Trinity Sunday, a time when we reflect on the mystery of how God reveals Godself to us in three different ways. You can use whatever Trinity language works best in your community, but I prefer language of God the Creator, God the Christ, and God the Holy Spirit, so that's what I'll use here. Help the children reflect on these different faces of God. What is God the Creator like? Here remind the children of the creation story, how the Creator only has to speak for the world to come into being. This face of God is vast, infinite, separate from but watching over creation. What is God the Christ like? Here you might remind the children of how Jesus was the Christ on earth -- very present to us, walking in our pain and our joys, showing us compassion, teaching us that we too are the children of God, and we too are the Christ. This is the face of God that is visible to us in the world and even in our own lives. What is God the Holy Spirit like? You can describe this the way Jesus does, as a Comforter, our link to God the Creator, helping us to understand what the Creator wants and intends for us and giving us strength to make good decisions. This face of God is the force that links the Christ (the created world) to the Creator -- like the internet or cell phones connect us to those we can't physically see. Help the children see how the Trinity operated in Jesus' teaching for Nicodemus. Nicodemus was created by God the Creator and was led to speak to Jesus through the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, so Jesus could teach him that he himself could become God the Christ if he would allow God's love to bring him new life. For a craft invite each child to cut a large triangle out of poster board (or have triangles already cut out). Next invite them to cut out three circles, to represent Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. Invite them to write one face of God on each circle and then place the circles on each point of the triangle. Finally invite the children to draw or describe each face of God on the triangle. Maybe they could also write prayers on their triangles with each aspect of God in mind (God of the universe, God who teaches and leads us, God who lives within us.) Punch a hole in the top of the triangle and hang it on a string, so the children can use it as a mobile somewhere. Close with a prayer that addresses God in all three ways.
