Mary stayed at home
Children's sermon
Object:
funeral flowers
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. (v. 20)
Good morning, boys and girls. How are you today? (allow answers) How many of you have ever been to a funeral? (allow answers) A funeral is a time when we gather to remember the life of someone who has died. During this Easter season, we talk a lot about life and death. After all, what do we remember during this season? (allow answers) We remember that Jesus died… and rose again!
Today our lesson talks about death, but it doesn't talk about Jesus' death. Our lesson talks about the death of a man named Lazarus, who was Jesus' friend. Now Lazarus had two sisters: Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha loved Jesus as much as they loved their brother Lazarus. In fact, once Mary washed Jesus' feet with her own tears and dried them with her hair! Mary was devoted to Jesus.
Then Lazarus died. Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could have saved their brother, but Jesus was not there. Jesus did not arrive in Lazarus' hometown until four days after Lazarus had died!
In the lesson today, we hear that Martha went to meet Jesus when he came to town… but Mary stayed home. How do you think Mary felt? (allow answers) I bet Mary was angry! Her brother, who she loved, had just died. When bad things happen to you, how do you feel? (allow answers) You probably feel angry, even at people who had nothing to do with it! Well, Mary felt kind of like that. When she finally went to see Jesus, she said, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." She is so upset at Lazarus' death that she blames Jesus for it.
In the story, Jesus goes on to raise Lazarus from the dead -- a great miracle! In the meantime, Mary's anger and grief are overflowing. We are sometimes like Mary. When something bad or unfair happens to us, we get mad at God. We say, "God! This is all your fault! Why have you let this happen?"
Do you think it is okay to yell at God like that? (allow answers) Well, it's not a good thing. But at some point we all have a moment where we feel like God has betrayed us. In Mary's words: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died!" But even though we feel hurt and we feel like we can't even rely on God, sometimes God uses these moments as a chance to show us some of his greatest miracles. How do you think Mary felt when Lazarus was raised from the dead and made alive again? (allow answers) All of her pain and grief was washed away by the miraculous love of Jesus. Just so, sometimes when we are at our most angry, sorrowful, and sad, God takes that moment to show us his great power and love. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. How are you today? (allow answers) How many of you have ever been to a funeral? (allow answers) A funeral is a time when we gather to remember the life of someone who has died. During this Easter season, we talk a lot about life and death. After all, what do we remember during this season? (allow answers) We remember that Jesus died… and rose again!
Today our lesson talks about death, but it doesn't talk about Jesus' death. Our lesson talks about the death of a man named Lazarus, who was Jesus' friend. Now Lazarus had two sisters: Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha loved Jesus as much as they loved their brother Lazarus. In fact, once Mary washed Jesus' feet with her own tears and dried them with her hair! Mary was devoted to Jesus.
Then Lazarus died. Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could have saved their brother, but Jesus was not there. Jesus did not arrive in Lazarus' hometown until four days after Lazarus had died!
In the lesson today, we hear that Martha went to meet Jesus when he came to town… but Mary stayed home. How do you think Mary felt? (allow answers) I bet Mary was angry! Her brother, who she loved, had just died. When bad things happen to you, how do you feel? (allow answers) You probably feel angry, even at people who had nothing to do with it! Well, Mary felt kind of like that. When she finally went to see Jesus, she said, "If you had been here, my brother would not have died." She is so upset at Lazarus' death that she blames Jesus for it.
In the story, Jesus goes on to raise Lazarus from the dead -- a great miracle! In the meantime, Mary's anger and grief are overflowing. We are sometimes like Mary. When something bad or unfair happens to us, we get mad at God. We say, "God! This is all your fault! Why have you let this happen?"
Do you think it is okay to yell at God like that? (allow answers) Well, it's not a good thing. But at some point we all have a moment where we feel like God has betrayed us. In Mary's words: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died!" But even though we feel hurt and we feel like we can't even rely on God, sometimes God uses these moments as a chance to show us some of his greatest miracles. How do you think Mary felt when Lazarus was raised from the dead and made alive again? (allow answers) All of her pain and grief was washed away by the miraculous love of Jesus. Just so, sometimes when we are at our most angry, sorrowful, and sad, God takes that moment to show us his great power and love. Amen.
