Bible Study – Welcome the Children
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.
During this “Ordinary Time” a time after Pentecost, we are nourished by the scriptures appointed for the season and empowered by our baptisms, we are invited to be on the lookout for all the blessings found in the ordinary – to see God at work here and now. And we are need to share our blessings with others.
The Pharisee in each of us wants to "get it right." In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is concerned that we "get it." So Jesus takes the ordinary things of life, from washing hands to attending to a child, and meets us where we are and helps us to "get it," finding blessings in the ordinary.
As Jesus prepares his disciples for what is to come, they not only do not "get it," they begin to jockey for position. Jesus is succinct: whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. He takes a small child gently in his arms and tells his disciples that as you welcome this child, you welcome not only me – but the one who sent me.
On a piece of paper write these words: “Who is the greatest?” Write down who you would list there. It could be a sports star, a rock star, a political figure, a coach, a teacher, whoever you want to add to a list of greats. What is it that makes a person "great." Write them in a column on the paper.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for the people who give us the courage to keep on improving our skills. Thank you for those who set a good example for us to follow. Amen.
Find the index in the Bible and find the book of Jeremiah. Then have find Chapter 11, verses 18-20. Read this passage. Jeremiah was a prophet. Do you know what a prophet is?
A prophet is a person who speaks for God. In the Old Testament, a prophet is often a person chosen to speak for God and to guide the people of Israel (like Moses or the Major and Minor prophets).
Please open your Bibles to Mark 9:30-37 and read or read the scriptures below.
Mark 9:30-37
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
Reflection Questions: (See answers at the bottom of the pages)
- What do you remember most about the story we just heard.
- Why doesn’t Jesus want anyone to know what he is teaching?
- Can you remember what Jesus told the disciples in the passage we read last week? (See Mark 8:31.)
- Verse 32 describes what the disciples were feeling. How would you describe what was going on?
- What does Jesus overhear the disciples arguing about?
- How did the disciples answer to Jesus' question?
- What do you think it means when Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and a servant to all”?
- How did Jesus show the disciples what it took to be "the greatest"?
- What do you think the reaction of the disciples might have been?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
Mark 9,30-37 Second prediction of the passion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdugta8G_B4 or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b17lTFmeHPg
Gospel of Mark Summary: A complete Animated Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGHqu9-DtXk
Song: My God is So Great – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnJP26wqbIM
What a Mighty God We Serve - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyJrEevMUZg or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVDYvgdwhro
Activities:
Who is the Greatest: Look at the list you produced at the beginning of the class. Now, create another list: “Who is the Greatest Nominated by Jesus?” Think of people who would go on this list. Some of the people on the other list may go here also (a sports figure who donates time and funds to helping underprivileged children, for example). Write the names on this list, they may be your grandparents, for example, or a soccer coach or a teacher.
Getting Closure: Who do you think Jesus might be calling them to welcome. Who stands alone after church? Who in our neighborhood is lonely? Who might be bullied at school? Who is always alone on the playground?
Serving Clay: Use modeling clay to form items that can be served or forms of people etc. Ideas would be to serve food items or a rake or a lawn mower, bed to make, book to read to someone.
The Key to Greatness - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/key-to-greatness
Who Is the Greatest - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/who-is-the-greatest-5
Who Is the Greatest – Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/who-is-the-greatest-3
The Key to Greatness – Fill in the Blanks: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/key-to-greatness-2
Who Is the Greatest – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/who-is-the-greatest-4
Prayer: Thank you for making each of us ‘the greatest’ to you, Jesus. Help us to notice those you want us to welcome. Amen.
Answers to the Reflection Questions:
- What do you remember most about the story we just heard.
- Why doesn’t Jesus want anyone to know what he is teaching? (The disciples are not even "getting it," so others would not either. And it is not yet time for others to know this.)
- Can you remember what Jesus told the disciples in the passage we read last week? (See Mark 8:31.)
- Verse 32 describes what the disciples were feeling. How would you describe what was going on? (Perhaps the disciples could make no sense of what Jesus was saying. How could he die and rise again? Perhaps they were beginning to understand and felt safer in denial. Perhaps they did not want to ask Jesus because they were afraid they would understand.)
- What does Jesus overhear the disciples arguing about? (In verses 33-34 they were trying to convince each other which one was the greatest.)
- How did the disciples answer to Jesus' question? (They said nothing; they were not proud of what they had been doing.)
- What do you think it means when Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and a servant to all”? (The “greater” you are, the more you are called to serve and help those of lesser status or ability.)
- How did Jesus show the disciples what it took to be "the greatest"? (He took a little child, held the child in his arms. See verse 37.)
- What do you think the reaction of the disciples might have been? (They were probably stunned and amazed. Children had no rights and little value in their culture. Welcoming children had not been a priority for them.)
