This lesson teaches children that Jesus wants us to choose humility and to share God’s generosity with everyone, especially people who cannot pay us back. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, with time for stories, questions and a simple activity.
Big Idea
Jesus shows us that God welcomes everyone to his table, and he wants us to be humble and kind to people who have nothing to give us back. When we do this, we are following Jesus.
Memory Verse
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands out flat, then slowly lower them as they say “humbles himself.” Then lift them high on “exalted.” Repeat the motion together twice so the lowering and lifting match the meaning of the verse.
The Story: Luke 14 for Kids
One Sabbath day, Jesus went to eat a meal at the house of an important Pharisee. Many people were watching him closely, because they wanted to see what he would do. Right in front of Jesus was a man whose body was swollen with sickness, and the man could not get well on his own.
Jesus asked the teachers of the law and the Pharisees a simple question: “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath day?” They did not answer him. So Jesus healed the man and sent him home. Then he asked them, “If your son or your ox fell into a well on the Sabbath, would you not pull him out right away?” Nobody could say a word back to him.
Next, Jesus noticed how the guests were racing to sit in the best seats at the table. He told them a story. “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the best seat. Someone more important might come, and your host might ask you to move to a lower place, and that would feel embarrassed. Sit in the lowest seat instead, and your friend may say, ‘Come up higher!’ Everyone will see your honor.”
Then Jesus spoke to the man who had invited him. “When you give a dinner, do not only invite the friends who can invite you back. Invite the poor, the lame, the blind and those who cannot pay you back. God will reward you.” One man at the table said, “Blessed is the one who eats in God’s kingdom!” Jesus told him a story about a great supper where the host invited many people, but they all made excuses and stayed away. So the host filled his house with the poor, the blind and the lame from the streets and the roads.
Finally, Jesus told the crowds that following him means putting him first in our hearts. He compared it to building a tower and counting the cost before starting. He also said that people who follow him should be like salt that keeps its flavor, because salt that loses its taste is no good for anything.
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 that Jesus says to invite people who cannot pay us back. Ask the children who they might invite to their table this week, such as a lonely neighbor, a new student, or a grandparent who lives alone.
Luke 14:21
“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.’
(WEB)
Show the children how the master sends the servant out to the streets and lanes to find people. Explain that God’s invitation reaches everyone, even those no one else was looking for, and that this is good news for all of us.
Luke 14:28-30
28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’
(WEB)
Help the children see that Jesus asks us to think carefully before we commit, the way a builder counts the cost first. Talk about how following Jesus is a promise we keep every day, not just once.
Talk About It
- What did the people at the dinner do when they wanted the best seats, and how do you think that made them feel?
- Who are some people in our town who might not be able to invite us back, and how could we show them kindness?
- Why do you think Jesus wanted the invited guests to make excuses instead of coming to the feast?
- What is one way you can choose the lowest seat, meaning you let someone else go first or get the credit?
- What do you think it means to be salt that keeps its flavor in your everyday life?
Activity Ideas
Paper Plate Invitation Craft
Give each child a paper plate, crayons, glue and scraps of colored paper. Ask them to decorate the plate as a feast invitation, drawing food, friends and a welcome message. Then have them write the name of someone they would like to invite, such as a lonely neighbor or a classmate, and keep the plate to give to that person.
Lowest Seat Game
Set out a row of chairs or cushions of different heights in a circle. Play music while the children walk around. When the music stops, they must sit in the lowest seat available. Afterward, ask them how it felt to choose the low seat and talk about how humble hearts make room for others.
Take-Home Invitation Card
Give each child an index card and a pencil. Have them write “You are invited” on one side and draw a small table or meal on the other. Encourage them to give the card to a family member or friend this week and say, “Come to our table.” Remind them that God’s invitation is open to everyone.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that Jesus turns ordinary social rules upside down. He calls his followers to humility, to generosity toward people who cannot repay us, and to a firm commitment to him above all else. The parable of the great supper reveals God’s open invitation to outsiders and the sad fact that some people refuse it because of other priorities.
Be careful not to make the lesson about a list of rules for earning God’s favor. Children may come away thinking they must be humble or generous to be loved, when the chapter shows God’s grace freely inviting everyone to his table. Keep the focus on who God is and how he welcomes us.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank you for inviting us to your table. Help us choose the lowest seat and make room for others. Show us who needs a friend, and help us be kind to everyone. Amen.
