8: The Least of These – Teaching Plan

Key Thought: Jesus taught that His followers will live as a people of compassion and mercy while they wait for His return.

August 24, 2019

1. Have a volunteer read Matthew 5:2-16.

Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
What does it mean to be merciful? How do we show mercy?
Personal Application: How do you feel about the fact that people will defame your name, speak lies against you, and accuse you of nasty things because of your faith? How could you defend yourself? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your relatives states: “Jesus blessed the meek and humble and persecuted, but these are the ones the world considers losers and useless and worthy of ridicule and abuse. Trying to be a peacemaker will get you verbally abused and a punch in the nose. The world is an angry place.” How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Luke 10:25-28.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
Why did Jesus ask the young ruler what he thought was the way to eternal life instead of giving an explicit answer?
Personal Application: Did you ever consider if you were doing enough or good enough to be saved? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your friends states, “Why did Jesus use a story with a good Samaritan stranger doing the right thing to help the man on the wayside to illustrate the Jews religious thinking that led them to not help the man?” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Luke 16:19-22.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
Is being poor a guarantee that you will go to heaven?
Personal Application: How can we be careful not to let money or the love of money distort our ideas on what we should focus on in life? Share your thoughts.
Case Study: One of your neighbors states, “Is there anything wrong with being rich or desiring to have good things? Can a person be a good Christian and still be well-off or is the Christian to divest himself from all riches?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Matthew 25:41-45.

Ask class members to share a short thought on what the main idea of this text is.
Why isn’t this an illustration of salvation by works?
Personal Application: Why did Jesus equate Himself with the hungry, the naked, the imprisoned? Why obligation does that put on us? Share your thoughts.
Case Study : Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

Amen!