Welcome!
Children's sermon
Object: A bottle of aromatic hand cream or something similar. If you want to do more, have a bowl, a pitcher of water, a towel, and the bottle of aromatic hand cream.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (vv. 1-3)
Hello, everyone! Are you ready for today’s story? (Let them respond.) Great!
This is a story about something that happened when Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday of Passover. Passover was a big holiday, and people traveled to Jerusalem from all over the land for the celebrations. The city was really crowded with people, and it was hard to find a place to stay. But there was a little town called Bethany on the hill next to Jerusalem, and Jesus had some good friends who lived there, so that’s where they went to stay.
His friends were Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, and wow, they were very excited to have Jesus come and visit with them and stay for a while. Martha went to the kitchen and started fixing a special meal to serve everyone while Lazarus took Jesus and the others into the room with the big table so they could get ready to eat. It wasn’t a table like you probably eat at though. Their table was very low to the ground, and it was shaped like a big “U”. And instead of chairs, there were cushions around the outside of the table, and everyone laid on the cushions using their left arms (have someone show how it looked if you want too) and stretched their legs out behind them.
When they were all on their cushions, Mary came into the room carrying a big bowl, a pitcher of water, a towel, and a little bottle. (Show the things you have brought as you mention them.) Does anyone have an idea what Mary did with those things? (Let them respond.) Well, she walked over to where Jesus was sitting and sat the bowl down next to his feet. Then she took the pitcher and poured cool water over his feet and dried them with the towel. Then she opened the little bottle and poured it over Jesus’ feet, and everyone could smell the expensive perfume from the bottle. Then, Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, started shouting at her because he did not understand why she was wasting the expensive perfume like that.
Now, let me ask you: Does anyone have any idea why Mary washed Jesus’ feet and poured the perfumed oil on them like she did? (Let them respond.) In fact, Mary would have gone around the table and washed everyone’s feet like that. Does anyone know why she did that? (Let them respond.) Do you think it was because their feet were just dirty? (Let them respond.) Well, they probably were pretty dirty. They had just walked all the way from Galilee to Bethany wearing sandals, so I’ll bet their feet were pretty dusty and dirty. But there was another reason Mary washed their feet.
Before I tell you why Mary washed their feet, I have another question for you. When you have company come to your house, what do you do to let them know they are welcome, and you are glad to see them? (Let them respond.) Maybe you open the door and say, “Come on in!” Maybe you let them sit in the best chair in the house? Maybe you give them something special to eat or drink? Maybe you let them play with your favorite toy? Maybe you just talk nicely with them and smile, and let them know you care about them?
Well, back in those days, when someone came to visit you, one of the things you did was wash their feet just like Mary did. She did it to show Jesus and the others that they were welcome there and that she, Martha, and Lazarus cared about them. You washed the dust off of their feet and you rubbed a perfumed oil on their sore feet to make them feel a bit better. It was how you showed someone you cared about them.
Jesus understood what Mary was doing, but Judas didn’t. Mary was thinking about caring for them, but all Judas was thinking about was the expensive perfume and how much money he might get for it. Mary was thinking about giving, and Judas was thinking about getting.
Now, we don’t have to wash someone’s feet to let them know we care about them, but can you think of other ways we can show people we care and are happy to see them? (Let them respond.) Maybe we just smile at them, or stop and talk with them? Maybe we treat them nicely, and try to help them when they need some help?
God wants us to care about others and do things we can do to show them that we care about them. God doesn’t want us to worry so much about what we are going to get out of it, but to think about what we can do to show others we care.
Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how much God loves every one of us no matter who we are, what we have, or where we are from, and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (vv. 1-3)
Hello, everyone! Are you ready for today’s story? (Let them respond.) Great!
This is a story about something that happened when Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the holiday of Passover. Passover was a big holiday, and people traveled to Jerusalem from all over the land for the celebrations. The city was really crowded with people, and it was hard to find a place to stay. But there was a little town called Bethany on the hill next to Jerusalem, and Jesus had some good friends who lived there, so that’s where they went to stay.
His friends were Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, and wow, they were very excited to have Jesus come and visit with them and stay for a while. Martha went to the kitchen and started fixing a special meal to serve everyone while Lazarus took Jesus and the others into the room with the big table so they could get ready to eat. It wasn’t a table like you probably eat at though. Their table was very low to the ground, and it was shaped like a big “U”. And instead of chairs, there were cushions around the outside of the table, and everyone laid on the cushions using their left arms (have someone show how it looked if you want too) and stretched their legs out behind them.
When they were all on their cushions, Mary came into the room carrying a big bowl, a pitcher of water, a towel, and a little bottle. (Show the things you have brought as you mention them.) Does anyone have an idea what Mary did with those things? (Let them respond.) Well, she walked over to where Jesus was sitting and sat the bowl down next to his feet. Then she took the pitcher and poured cool water over his feet and dried them with the towel. Then she opened the little bottle and poured it over Jesus’ feet, and everyone could smell the expensive perfume from the bottle. Then, Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, started shouting at her because he did not understand why she was wasting the expensive perfume like that.
Now, let me ask you: Does anyone have any idea why Mary washed Jesus’ feet and poured the perfumed oil on them like she did? (Let them respond.) In fact, Mary would have gone around the table and washed everyone’s feet like that. Does anyone know why she did that? (Let them respond.) Do you think it was because their feet were just dirty? (Let them respond.) Well, they probably were pretty dirty. They had just walked all the way from Galilee to Bethany wearing sandals, so I’ll bet their feet were pretty dusty and dirty. But there was another reason Mary washed their feet.
Before I tell you why Mary washed their feet, I have another question for you. When you have company come to your house, what do you do to let them know they are welcome, and you are glad to see them? (Let them respond.) Maybe you open the door and say, “Come on in!” Maybe you let them sit in the best chair in the house? Maybe you give them something special to eat or drink? Maybe you let them play with your favorite toy? Maybe you just talk nicely with them and smile, and let them know you care about them?
Well, back in those days, when someone came to visit you, one of the things you did was wash their feet just like Mary did. She did it to show Jesus and the others that they were welcome there and that she, Martha, and Lazarus cared about them. You washed the dust off of their feet and you rubbed a perfumed oil on their sore feet to make them feel a bit better. It was how you showed someone you cared about them.
Jesus understood what Mary was doing, but Judas didn’t. Mary was thinking about caring for them, but all Judas was thinking about was the expensive perfume and how much money he might get for it. Mary was thinking about giving, and Judas was thinking about getting.
Now, we don’t have to wash someone’s feet to let them know we care about them, but can you think of other ways we can show people we care and are happy to see them? (Let them respond.) Maybe we just smile at them, or stop and talk with them? Maybe we treat them nicely, and try to help them when they need some help?
God wants us to care about others and do things we can do to show them that we care about them. God doesn’t want us to worry so much about what we are going to get out of it, but to think about what we can do to show others we care.
Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how much God loves every one of us no matter who we are, what we have, or where we are from, and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
