Category: Building Character

Once a shepherd had a flock of 100 sheep. Shepherds love their sheep. Sometimes they even have names for the sheep. A shepherd leads his sheep to nutritious green grass to eat. He looks for nice clean water so his sheep can have a drink when they are thirsty.

A shepherd watches after every sheep and takes care of them. Sometimes dangerous animals like bears and lions would come and try to hurt his sheep. The shepherd protects the sheep and chases all the dangerous animals away from them.

At other times the sheep would wander away from the rest of the sheep and the shepherd had to call out the sheep’s name. When the sheep heard the shepherd’s voice he would run back to the shepherd.

The shepherd loved every one of his sheep. He even had names for his sheep. Every night he would count his sheep to make sure that all 100 were there.

Jesus continued talking about the shepherd in the parable. One day the shepherd counted his sheep and found that there were only 99 sheep instead of 100. The shepherd was so worried.  One of the sheep must be lost.

Even though 99 of the sheep were safe the shepherd was so concerned about the 1 sheep that was lost. Immediately, he left the other sheep in a safe place and set off looking for the lost sheep.

The shepherd searched everywhere. What if the sheep were hurt? What if some wild animals had attacked it?

Finally, he found the lost sheep! The shepherd was so relieved and happy.

The shepherd lifted the sheep up onto his shoulders and carried him all the way back to join the rest of the flock.

Every sheep is important to the shepherd. Even if only one is lost he will search everywhere to find it.

In the same way, people are important to God.  He does not want anyone to be lost either.  Every person is important to God.

Do you believe that people are important to God?  If we know that someone is missing, what do you think we should do?

Scripture Reference: Matthew 18:10-14 and Luke 15:1-7

Wherever Jesus went people would come to hear him tell about God. They loved to hear him tell parables. Parables were stories that helped people understand important lessons.

Once a man who was an expert in the Law of God asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, what must I do to live forever?”

Jesus knew that man was an expert in God’s Old Testament Laws. He asked the man what the Old Testament Law said that a person must do to live forever.

The man’s answer was, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus told the man that he was right. That was the greatest commandment. That is the way to live forever.

Then the man asked about loving your neighbor as yourself. Did he have to love all his neighbors or just the ones that lived close by? He asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

Instead of telling him the answer Jesus told a parable. This is the parable:

A man was travelling by himself from Jerusalem to the town of Jericho. While he was on the road some robbers attacked him. They beat him up and took everything he had – even his clothes! The man was left all alone on the road. He waited and waited for someone to come by and help him.

A priest came walking by on the road. Priests were God’s helpers in the temple. They knew how to worship God. They knew all of the rules of God. Do you think the priest helped the man? No, the priest went to the other side of the road and passed right by the man without help.

Next, a Levite came along the road. Levites knew all of God’s laws. They were good Jews. Do you think the Levite stopped and helped the man? No, the Levite looked at the man and then crossed the road and walked right past him.

Finally, a man from Samaria came along the road. The Jews did not like Samaritans. Everybody thought that the Samaritans would never help anybody. But this Samaritan was good. He saw the man on the road, and he stopped to help. He put oil and wine on the man’s wounds. (Oil and wine were used for medicine in those times.) Then he lifted the man onto his donkey and took him to a nearby inn. He took care of the man all night to make sure he was going to be well.

The next morning the Samaritan had to leave to continue his journey. He wanted to make sure that the injured man was taken care of, so he gave money to the innkeeper. He gave him enough money so that the man could stay at the inn for two months! He even told the innkeeper that he would come back the next time he was travelling and pay more money if the man was still sick.

Everyone was very surprised to hear this parable. When Jesus was finished, he asked the expert in the Law of God a question, “Three men went on the road that day: the priest, the Levite and the Samaritan. Which of these men do you think was a neighbor to the man who was beaten and robbed?”

What do you think the expert in the Law of God answered? That’s right, the Samaritan was a neighbor. Helping anyone who needs help is being the kind of neighbor that God wants. We don’t even have to know the person. We should help them just because they need help.

Scripture Reference: Luke 10:25-37