Today, Sunday, December 29, 2013, our lesson was sort of a continuation of last week’s lesson. We began class by talking about our Christmas gifts. Which was our favorite? Which one was unexpected? What did we “know” we were getting? It was a lot of fun for me to see the excitement in their eyes as they “remembered” seeing these gifts for the first time.
Our lesson for last week, included our memory verse from Romans 12:1, which reads:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.
This week, I began the discussion by asking a couple of questions. First, “Can you recall anything that is different about your life AFTER you were saved?” Since these are very young boys and girls (4-6 grade), they didn’t really have an answer for that. I expected that to be the case. I followed that question with, “Are there any behaviors that you do now that people around you can say are “christian” behaviors?” I had to explain that question a bit, but it got a few of them thinking about their lives and actions. Several good answers in fact. “Going to church” was common. “I’m nice to some people that others are mean to” was one response. I am seeing progress in trying to get these kids to take their Sunday School lessons out to their Monday-Saturday lives. It’s exciting to see them actually be intentional about applying these lessons. (Praise GOD!)
We read the memory verse a few times to help them get it into their minds. We then, began to talk about a story that they are pretty familiar with. The story of Zacchaeus is one that most of us learn about as very young people in church. I mean as soon as they recognized the story, 2 or 3 of them were humming the song, “…Zaccaeus was a wee little man…” However, I was wanting to use this story in a way that, perhaps, they had not thought of before. We discussed the fact that Jesus was something of a celebrity. People in the region had all heard of his preaching and miracles. When they found out that he was coming to town, they lined the streets. So much so that this man, Zacchaeus, was unable to see Jesus. This caused him to climb into the tree, where Jesus called him down.
At this point in the story, I wanted to frame another concept for the kids. We talked about the idea that Zacchaeus was probably one of the least liked people in town. We talked about why that was the case as well. I asked the kids to think about someone in their own lives who was, like Zacchaeus, not very well liked. Maybe it is a person who they are pretty sure is not a christian. Maybe it is a person who is a bully or who is just a loner. I wanted them to firmly recognize SOMEONE in their own lives who could be the Zacchaeus in the story. After giving them some time to think of someone, we moved on with the story.
Now, when Jesus called to Zacchaeus and went to his house for dinner, there was a murmur that when throughout the crowd. Luke 19:7 reads:
All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
Interesting response, don’t you think? I mean, these people surely had heard about at least SOME of the content of Jesus’ message. They certainly knew that it was not unusual for him to do such a thing. At any rate, it is Zacchaeus’ response that we wanted to focus on. You see, after meeting Jesus, there was an instantaneous and noticeable change in his behavior! Read Luke 19:8:
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Here is the real meat of the lesson for the kids. When salvation came to Zacchaeus, the people could SEE a difference in his life. Jesus CHANGED Zacchaeus from an object of scorn into a man that had a love for those around him and it showed up in his lifestyle. THAT is how offering our lives as a “living sacrifice” looks.
So, in wrapping up, I asked the kids to think about that person they thought of before. I asked them to recognize that Jesus came to die for THAT person. I asked them if they thought that Jesus would be willing to eat dinner at their house. Of course he would. In fact, Jesus loves that person just as much as he loves each of us in class! I asked them to think about whether they thought that person KNEW that Jesus loved them. This is where it gets a little tricky with such young people. It is difficult for them to understand how it is possible for unchurched people to not understand this reality. We talked a little about that, so that they could grasp it. Once they did, I asked them this question:
Is your life and behavior going to help that person understand that you have been changed by Jesus love AND that it is possible for Jesus love to change them, too?
I helped them to understand that Salvation was supposed to be so much more than just a ticket to heaven. It is an ongoing part of our daily lives. Each day should be a day that we offer our lives as a living sacrifice as a worshipful response to God’s mercy toward us. What a WONDERFUL story that showed how it looks to live a changed life.
One more thing…this was NOT the lesson I prepared. It is one that unfolded as God revealed it a little piece at a time during class. I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to become a mouthpiece for the creator of the universe. It is one of the most amazing things in the world. God is SO GOOD!