Bible Study – Giving To God
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
In this season after Pentecost, we hear stories of Jesus’ ministry in the world and our call to engage in that mission. This season is also known as Ordinary Time coming from the word “ordinal” which means counted time. This time is not ordinary as in common or regular, but it is the time of counted weeks between Pentecost and Advent. The color for this season is green and it is often referred to as the green growing time as we hear stories of what God is calling us to do in the world, we join in that call, and we grow in our faith
Once again, people who opposed Jesus and his message are trying to entrap him. This is the first of three exchanges between the Jewish leaders and Jesus. The lesson begins with them buttering Jesus up, and then asking a question that they thought would show that he was speaking out against the government so that he could get arrested. However, Jesus does not fall for it and calls them to the test instead.
Opening Prayer: Loving God, we thank for being with us. Be with us as we hear your word and help us to learn about how we can give to you. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 22:15-22 and read or read the scriptures below.
Matthew 22:15-22
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Questions:
- Why do you think the people were trying to trick Jesus into answering a tricky question?
- What do you think Jesus meant when he said, “give to the emperor the things that are the emperors.”
- What do you think Jesus meant when he said give to “God the things that are God’s?”
- How do we give to God?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on url)
Discover Jesus – Jesus Christ Refutes His Opposition (Matthew 22:15-46) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-khh6r1IYks
Gospel of Matthew Summary: A complete Animated Overview (Part 2) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGCF3OPWN14
Song: Into my Heart, Lord Jesus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouxtg-7PNMQ
Activities:
In Jesus' time, you had to pay taxes with a coin that had the image of the Emperor, Caesar on it and an inscription that read “Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine Augustus, high priest.” The Jewish community saw this as offensive because it was saying that the emperor was a high priest. These coins bore the image of the emperor.
What bears the image of God? Human beings, creation, our gifts and talents, etc.
Giving Bowl: To help us remember the ways in which we can give to God, you are going to create a giving bowl. Decorate a bowl and cards to fill in bowl with ways that you can give back to God the things that are God’s. Each day, on your own or with your family, you can draw a card out of the bowl and work to do thing that day in order to give back to God.
Think of ways that you can give back to God the things that are God’s.
For example:
- Give God time in prayer
- Give God time in helping others
- Give God part of your allowance each week by donating money to the church or another organization that serves those in need
- Give to God by creating something (art, poetry, music, etc.) that glorifies God
- Time
- Talent
- Treasure
Coin Art: Gather enough pennies to glue in the shape of a question mark or to form the word – GOD on card stock or heavier paper. Write today’s Bible verse 21 on the paper or the question, What do we owe to God? We owe Him our ALL!
Paying Taxes to Caesar Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/paying_taxes_to_caesar_crossword.htm
Paying Taxes to Caesar Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/paying_taxes_to_caesar_wordsearch.htm
Paying Taxes to Caesar Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/paying_taxes_to_caesar_choice.htm
Prayer: Gracious God, We thank you for the time we spent with you today. Help us to remember those ways in which we can give back to you and serve you each day. Be with us and help us to remember your gifts to us. Amen.
