This Luke 16 Sunday school lesson teaches children that God cares about how we use what we have, and that we should be faithful with small things as well as big ones. It is written for children about ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach, including the story, discussion and an activity.
Big Idea
God notices how we take care of the things He gives us, whether they are small or large. We can be faithful with little things, and we can choose to love and serve God more than money.
Memory Verse
Luke 16:10
He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much. He who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
(WEB)
Hold your hands out in front of you, cupped like a bowl, then slowly close them into fists as you say “faithful.” Next, open your hands wide and spread your arms as you say “in much.” Do this together a few times until the children can say the verse with the motions.
The Story: Luke 16 for Kids
Jesus told his friends a story about a rich man who had a helper who managed all his money and farms. One day the rich man heard that his helper was wasting his master’s things. He called the helper in and said, “What is this I hear about you? You cannot be my manager anymore. Tell me how you have managed my things.”
The helper began to worry. He thought, “I am too weak to dig and too proud to beg. What will I do?” So he had an idea. He called each person who owed money to his master. To the first man he said, “How much do you owe?” The man said, “One hundred jugs of oil.” The helper said, “Take your paper, sit down quickly, and write fifty.”
He did the same with the next man, who owed one hundred bags of wheat. The helper told him to write eighty. The helper hoped that these people would welcome him into their homes after he lost his job. The rich master noticed how clever the helper had been, even though he had acted dishonestly, and he praised him for thinking ahead.
Then Jesus spoke about a rich man who wore fine purple clothes and ate very well every day. Outside his gate lay a poor beggar named Lazarus, covered in sores, who wanted just the crumbs from the rich man’s table. Both men died. Lazarus was carried by angels to be with Abraham, but the rich man was in pain in a place of torment.
The rich man called out, “Father Abraham, please send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue!” Abraham answered, “Son, remember that you received good things in your life, and now Lazarus is comforted and you are in pain.”
Read It Together
Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus says no one can serve two masters. Ask the children what it might look like to try to love money more than God, and talk about how we can choose God first in our everyday decisions.
Luke 16:19-21
19 “Now there was a certain rich man, and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every day. 20 A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
(WEB)
Show the children how the rich man and Lazarus lived very differently on earth. Help them notice that God sees every person, rich or poor, and that Lazarus was not forgotten by God even though he was ignored by others.
Luke 16:31
“He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the dead.’”
(WEB)
Explain that God gave people Moses and the prophets to teach them how to live. Point out that listening to God’s Word matters more than waiting for something dramatic to happen, because God has already told us what is true.
Talk About It
- What is one small thing God has given you that you can take good care of this week?
- Why do you think Jesus said that a person who is faithful with a little will also be faithful with a lot?
- How can you tell when money is becoming more important to you than loving God?
- What did the rich man in the story notice too late about Lazarus?
- What is one way you can listen to God’s Word at home this week?
Activity Ideas
Treasure Coin Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few coins or buttons. Have each child trace a coin on paper and draw a small thing they can take care of, like a pet, a toy, or a book. Talk together about how God trusts us with small treasures. Let the children take their drawings home as a reminder.
Two Masters Relay
Set up two bowls or baskets at opposite ends of the room, one labeled “God” and one labeled “Money,” using paper and tape. Give each child a small paper heart. Have them run one at a time to place the heart in the bowl marked God, then talk about how we choose God first. Keep it lively but remind children that the goal is to practice choosing God.
Faithful Little Jar
You will need a clear jar, some pennies or dried beans, and a sticky note. Each week, invite the children to add one small thing they did faithfully, like helping at home or sharing a toy. Read the jar together at the end of the month to celebrate how small faithful choices grow into something meaningful.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter challenges us about the difference between using wealth for God’s purposes and letting wealth control us. Jesus is not condemning money itself, but warning against trusting it or serving it instead of God. The passage also shows that God sees the needs of the poor, and that how we treat others matters deeply to Him.
Avoid overstating the parable of the dishonest manager to children, since its meaning is subtle and the story includes a character acting dishonestly. Focus on the clear lessons of faithfulness and choosing God over money, and let older children explore the harder questions as they grow.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank You for trusting us with the things You give us. Help us be faithful with small things and to love You more than money or anything else. Help us listen to Your Word and care for the people around us. Amen.
