Aim to learn what it means to be a good neighbour
Aim
* to learn what it means to be a good neighbour
* to learn that we are to be kind to everyone
Materials
Visual aids – picture cards of the story
Story – The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37)
– The Good Stranger, from ‘Stories Jesus Told’ by Nick Butterworth
Worksheets
Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. Story
3. Discussion
4. Activities – act out the story, worksheets, games
5. Review the aims
6. Prayer
1) Introduction
Who is our neighbour? The person who lives next door to us or near us. Who are your neighbours?
What are their names? What do you know about them? What makes a good neighbour? Are they good neighbours? Are you good neighbours?
Today’s story is about a good neighbour.” Someone asked Jesus “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus answered the question by telling this story.
2) Story
1. The Parable of Good Samaritan – Luke 10: 25-37
One man asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite (helper in the temple), when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The man replied, “The one who had mercy on him. “Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
OR
2. The Good Stranger – from ‘Stories Jesus Told’ by Nick Butterworth
Here is a man. He is going on a long journey. Soon he has left the town behind him. The sun is hot and the long climb up into the hills makes his donkey puff. The path winds between high rocks. It is a dark place full of shadows.
“I don’t like it here,”says the man. He has a funny feeling that someone is watching him. Suddenly there is a shout! Robbers! Three of them! They steal his donkey and all of his belongings. And they whack him on the head with his own stick! Poor man. He is left lying on the path. His head is bleeding and he cannot move his legs. He lies there for a long time, then, finally he falls asleep.
After a while, someone comes along the path. He is wearing fine clothes. A bishop. He stops, then hurries past, pretending not to see. Perhaps he is late for important business. Perhaps he is afraid.
The man wakes up and starts to call for help. Ah! Here comes someone. A man in a wig. A judge. “Help! Help!” But the judge pretends not to hear and he hurries past. Just like the bishop.
The sun rises high in the sky. The man is hot. His throat is dry. But here comes more footsteps!
Who is it? Oh no! He is a stranger from a foreign country. He has no friends here. Why should he stop to help? But the stranger does stop. He speaks kindly to the man in foreign words, and helps him to drink some water. He washes his wounds and carefully puts a bandage round his head. The stranger helps the man up onto his donkey. He puts his arm around him to stop him from falling off, and gently leads him down the path. At the next town the stranger finds an inn. He puts the man to bed and pays the innkeeper.
“Look after him,” he says, “until I get back.”
Jesus says, “which one was like a good neighbour? The bishop, the judge or the stranger?”
3) Discussion
* Ask the children to tell the story in their own words using picture cards
* Ask questions about the story
1. Which one was a good neighbour?
2. What made him a good neighbour?
3. Were the other men good neighbours? Why not?
4. Why did the other men not stop?
5. What can we learn from this story?
Talk about what it means to be a good neighbour and that we should be kind to everyone, not only the people we know.
4) Activities
1. Act out the story
2. Worksheets – colour a picture, spot-the-difference, find the right way
3. Games:
Who is My Neighbor?
Directions: Have the children sit or stand in a circle. The children will be the neighbors. Make one child stand in the center of the circle. She will be the “new” neighbor. The new neighbor must pick out one of the neighbors in the circle and say something like, “My neighbor is wearing brown shoes.” If a child thinks he might be the one she is talking about he must raise his hand. If multiple children raise their hand, the new neighbor says, “Yes, it is one of you.” Next, the new neighbor says something else about the person she has picked. She might say, “My neighbor has black hair.”
Again, if a child thinks he is the one she is describing he must raise his hand. The game continues until only one child has his hand up, and he is the correct person. He then becomes the “new” neighbor.
What is a Neighbor?
Directions: Draw an outline of a person on a big piece of paper and tape the drawing to a wall. Ask the children to give you their suggestions on what makes a good neighbor. They might say things like they share or they give you treats. As each suggestion is called out, write it down and give it to the child who said it. Have that child stick their answer around the outline drawing. When complete you should have a good example of the kind of things a good neighbor should be.
5) Review the aims
* to learn what it means to be a good neighbour
* to learn that we are to be kind to everyone
6) Prayer
* Say a prayer to thank God for our neighbours. Help us to be good neighbours to them and to be kind to everyone
