This lesson teaches children that the greatest way to live is to love God with their whole heart and to love other people the way they love themselves. Children ages 5 to 11 can learn it together, and the full lesson takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the Bible reading, and the activity.
Big Idea
God wants us to love him with all of who we are, and to love the people around us just as we love ourselves. Loving God and others is the most important thing we can do.
Memory Verse
Mark 12:30
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
(WEB)
Place both hands over your heart, then stretch your arms wide open. Say the verse together while you move, so children connect “all your heart” with the hand on the chest and “all your strength” with the arms going wide.
The Story: Mark 12 for Kids
One day Jesus was teaching in the temple in Jerusalem, and people gathered to listen. He told them a story about a man who planted a vineyard, a big garden full of grapevines. He built a fence around it and rented it to some farmers, then went far away on a trip.
When it was time to collect the fruit, the owner sent a servant to get his share. The farmers beat that servant and sent him away with nothing. The owner sent more servants, and the farmers treated them badly too. Finally, he sent his own dear son, thinking they would respect him.
But the greedy farmers said to each other, “This is the son. If we get rid of him, the vineyard will be ours!” They took him and hurt him, and that was the end of the story Jesus told. Jesus wanted the people to think about who the farmers really were.
Later, some men tried to trick Jesus with hard questions. A teacher came up and asked Jesus which rule in God’s law was the most important. Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself.” The teacher agreed and said Jesus had spoken well.
Jesus also noticed a poor widow putting two tiny coins into the treasury box. He called his friends over and said she had given more than all the rich people, because she gave everything she had. Jesus was pleased by her faithful heart.
Read It Together
Mark 12:31
The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
(WEB)
Point out the word “neighbor” and ask children who their neighbors are. Explain that a neighbor is anyone near us, including classmates, family members, and people we might not know well. Help them see that loving others is part of loving God.
Mark 12:41-44
41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much. 42 A poor widow came, and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin. 43 He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury, 44 for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”
(WEB)
Show children how the widow gave a small gift but a big heart. Point out that Jesus noticed what she did and cared about her offering, which shows that God sees what we give, even when it looks small to others.
Mark 12:10-11
10 Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. 11 This was from the Lord, it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
(WEB)
Explain that the stone the builders rejected became the most important stone in the building. Tell children that Jesus is that special stone, and that God does wonderful things even when people push things away. Keep the focus on God’s power and care.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you can do this week to show God you love him with all your heart?
- Who is a neighbor that you could show kindness to at school or at home?
- Why do you think Jesus noticed the poor widow when she gave her coins?
- How did the farmers in the story act when the owner sent his servants, and what could they have done differently?
- What is something you have that you could share with someone who needs it?
Activity Ideas
Heart Drawing Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and scissors. Have each child trace a large heart on paper, cut it out, and write or draw one way they can love God in the middle. Then ask them to decorate the border with ways they can love their neighbors, like sharing, helping, or saying kind words.
Neighbor Relay Game
You will need a open space, two cups, and some soft balls or beanbags. Split children into two teams and set a cup at the far end of the room for each team. Players pass a ball down the line, and the last player places it in the cup. Between turns, call out a kind action like “Share a snack” or “Help clean up,” and have the team act it out before the next pass.
Take-Home Prayer Card
You will need index cards or small pieces of cardstock and a marker. Ask each child to write the memory verse in simple words on one side and draw a picture of a neighbor on the other. Encourage them to place the card by their bed or on the fridge and read it aloud each day that week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that Jesus treats loving God and loving people as the heart of the whole law. Jesus also uses the vineyard story to show that God is patient, sends many messengers, and finally sends his own Son, which points to the cross and to Jesus as the cornerstone of God’s work.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the idea that giving money to God earns his favor. The widow’s story is about the attitude of the heart and trust in God, not a rule that every gift must be a certain size or that God rewards us only for what we give.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, we want to love you with all our hearts and all our strength. Help us love our neighbors the way we love ourselves, and show us small ways to share what we have. Thank you for seeing everything we do for you. Amen.
