Application
Text
Matthew 5:16.
Being Impossible:
Susan was being impossible. All week she had been nasty to her
brother and sister. Just this morning her little sister had
annoyed her, so she flipped some cornflakes into her face and laughed
when she cried. "Susan!" said her mother in a shocked voice,
"That's not the way a Christian behaves. You heard on Sunday that
Pastor said we are like lamps for Jesus, and need to shine for Him!"
Susan looked unhappy - but only for a moment! She glared at
her sister as she climbed into her Mom's car and slammed the door.
Her lamp was losing it's light, but she didn't care. On the way to
school she stuck out her tongue at children walking along the pavement.
Only losers walked to school! Later, while her teacher was
trying to explain a science project on the board, she got her friends to
pull horrible faces behind Michael's back, as he eagerly put up his hand
each time their teacher asked a question.
In Trouble:
At break she met her "cool" friends in the hall and they decided it would
be fun to shoot paper balls at the boys. Susan pointed at Michael
and all the girls nodded as they were jealous of Michael as he always
did homework and got the best marks in the class. Susan also hated
him because he was a good Christian and always treated everyone kindly.
And so during English, the girls took turns to shoot paper balls
at him.
Susan laughed to herself when hers hit him on the cheek and he yelled, "Ouch!"
It was even better when the teacher shouted at him. However,
this did not last long, because the teacher eventually asked why he kept
making noises. He turned round and pointed at the girls behind him.
"They did it!" he replied. Well, the teacher got mad when she
saw all the paper balls lying all over the floor. She shouted at Susan
and her friends and made them pick up every scrap of paper, before sending
them to the office to be punished for their bad behaviour.
Let's Get Michael:
Her lamp was burning very low now. It was late when she crept in the
front door after detention. Her Mom pounced on her and Susan had to
tell her about the paper balls. Mom was furious. "Straight to
bed!" she exclaimed, "And no supper!"
Susan's lamp was starting flicker as if it wanted to go out. She was so
mad the next day, that she and her friends decided to teach Michael a lesson
that he would never forget. After school they waited at the top of the
entrance steps. Susan whispered, "You all push Michael and I'll trip
him over my leg. It will serve Mommies little boy right if he falls
and scrapes his leg."
Just then Michael came out of the door and the girls gave him a huge shove as
Susan stuck out her leg and tripped him. They cheered as he fell down
the steep steps and lay in a heap at the bottom. Their joy turned to
fear when Michael didn't jump up and shout at them. He lay still and
her friend said, "Susan, now you've done it! You've killed him!"
Susan shook her head in desperation. "Quick ... hide!" shouted one girl
as a teacher came running to where Michael lay.
I'm Going To Jail:
The girls hid behind some nearby bushes. Susan's heart beat faster as one
of her friends whispered, "Now they'll send you to prison, Susan. It
was your idea and it's all your fault!" One by one her friends crept
away. Susan watched as the paramedics loaded Michael onto a stretcher
and then the ambulance tore away with its siren blaring.
Her lamp was nearly out, only a tiny flicker remained. Susan went home
with a heavy heart. When she reached home, she told her mother that she
was feeling sick and went to bed without any supper. That night she
tossed and turned as she thought of Michael laying still and dead in the
mortuary. The police would drag her off to a magistrate and then throw
her in jail. She imagined how she would grow old in jail and come out
an old, old woman.
He's Alive:
A pale Susan crawled into class next morning. Her heart beat fast when her
teacher called her to the front. "You were really unkind yesterday,"
she began, "Michael could have been seriously hurt! Fortunately he was
just knocked out." At that moment the classroom door flew open and in
came a grinning Michael.
Susan flew to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as she wept, "I'm so
sorry, Michael! I was horrible and I could not bear to go to jail and
grow old for hurting you!" Michael patted her head and said, "I forgive
you, Susan. You did wrong but I hope we can now be friends." Susan
looked at Michael with a shining light in her eyes. "Oh, yes please,
Michael!" said Susan, "I will never say bad things or try to hurt anybody
again!"
A Changed Heart:
That night she knelt by her bed and asked Jesus to make her heart clean and to
help her be kind and caring with everyone she came in contact with.
Her lamp suddenly grew bright and shone out again! Jesus answered her
prayer and she took care in the future to always treat people kindly, and to
try and please Jesus in everything she did.
What caused Susan's lamp to nearly go out? ( Let the children respond ).
What about your light? Is it shining brightly? And does
the way you talk and behave show that Jesus really lives in your heart?
I hope so! In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said:
"Let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in Heaven."
I hope you will always treat other people kindly, with care and respect!
A Paper Craft Activity:
Here is a lantern craft project that the children could do to remind them that
their lamps always need to shine brightly for Jesus.
God bless!