This lesson teaches children that Jesus welcomes everyone to God’s table, and that humble, generous hearts please him most. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Jesus wants us to be humble, and to share our good things with people who cannot pay us back. God’s love reaches everyone, even the ones nobody else invites.
Memory Verse
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
(WEB)
Have children stand tall with their arms stretched high, then slowly bend down to touch their toes on the words about humbling. Repeat it together, going up and down with each part of the verse.
The Story: Luke 14 for Kids
One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat dinner at the house of an important religious leader. Many people were watching him closely to see what he would do. In front of Jesus stood a man who was very sick with swelling in his body. Jesus asked the teachers of the law, “Is it right to help people on the Sabbath day?” Nobody answered him.
So Jesus took the sick man by the hand and made him well. Then he asked, “If your son or your ox fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you pull him out right away?” Again, nobody had an answer. Jesus showed them that God’s kindness matters more than their rules.
Jesus noticed that the guests at the dinner were all racing to sit in the best seats at the table. He told them a short story about this. When you are invited to a wedding, don’t grab the fanciest seat, because someone more important might come later. Instead, sit in the lowest seat, and the host may say, “Friend, come up higher!” Jesus said that people who make themselves big will be made small, and people who make themselves small will be lifted up.
Then Jesus spoke to the man who had invited him. He said, “When you give a big dinner, don’t only invite the friends who can invite you back. Invite the poor, the lame, and the blind. They cannot pay you back, and God will bless you for it.” One guest heard this and said, “Happy is the person who eats in God’s kingdom!” Jesus told a story about a man who made a great supper, but the people he invited all made excuses and did not come. So the man sent his servant out to bring in people from the streets and roads, until his house was full.
Jesus ended by saying that following him means putting him first, even above the people we love most. He told the crowd to count the cost before they decide to follow him, and he said that his followers should be like salt that keeps its flavor.
Read It Together
Luke 14:13-14
13 But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; 14 and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”
(WEB)
Point out the kind of people Jesus says to invite, the poor, the lame, and the blind. Ask children who they might notice at school or church who would never be invited to a party, and how they could include them.
Luke 14:21-23
21 “That servant came, and told his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’ 22 “The servant said, ‘Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.’ 23 “The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
(WEB)
Show how the master sends his servant to the streets and roads so that the house will be full. Explain that God’s invitation to his kingdom is open wide, and that there is always room for more people.
Luke 14:26-27
26 “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. 27 Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple.
(WEB)
Explain in simple words that Jesus wants to be first in our hearts, more than even our family or our own comfort. Remind children that following Jesus is a daily choice, not a one-time thing.
Talk About It
- Why do you think the guests wanted to sit in the best seats, and how do you feel when someone takes the seat you wanted?
- What is one way you could be humble at home or at school this week?
- Who is someone who might feel left out, and how could we make them feel welcome?
- Why do you think Jesus wanted the people to invite the poor, the lame, and the blind to their parties?
- What is something you could give up or share so that Jesus comes first in your heart?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Banquet Table
You will need paper plates, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. Have each child draw a guest on a small paper cutout and glue it onto a plate, then write a name of someone they would like to invite to their table. Set the plates together in a row on a table, and talk about how there is always room for one more guest.
Lowest Seat Game
You will need a few chairs arranged in a circle and a bell or a small object to pass. Play like musical chairs, but when the music stops, the children sit down in the lowest, most humble way, such as on the floor. Each time, call out someone who should be lifted up, and have that child move to a chair while everyone cheers for them.
Kindness Invitation Card
You will need index cards, markers, and an envelope for each child. Ask each child to write or draw an invitation to a person who might be lonely or left out, such as a neighbor, a classmate, or a grandparent. Help them deliver it or mail it that week, and remind them that Jesus loves to see us show kindness to people who cannot repay us.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter challenges the instinct to seek status, to invite only people who will return the favor, and to treat God’s kingdom as a reward for the impressive. Jesus turns the dinner table into a picture of grace, where humility is honored and the outcast is welcomed. Adults can reflect on whom their own tables and church gatherings are really built for.
Avoid overstating to children the idea that God rewards good behavior with a payback, as if kindness is a trade. Keep the focus on God’s generous love, which invites us freely, and on the joy of sharing that love without expecting anything back.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank you for inviting us to your table. Help us to be humble, to share what we have, and to make room for people who feel left out. Help us to put you first in our hearts every day. Amen.
