Eternal Treasure

By Pat Graham

And he saith unto them, Follow me (Matt. 4:19).

Do you ever wish that you had a lot of money? People often think that money or possessions will make them happy. Jesus gave us something more valuable than earthly treasures. He taught us how we should live.

After Jesus told His disciples to follow Him, He taught them what they could do to be like Him. He went up on a mountain near the Sea of Galilee and gave a sermon. The truths He taught the people then can help us today too.

Instructions

Illustrated by Beth Maryon

Cut out treasure chest and fold on dotted lines. Glue inside bottom edges of chest together as illustrated.
Read all of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). You could make more jewels with parts of the sermon on them and add to your treasure chest.
Match each situation here with at least one appropriate beatitude on each jewel.
1. You are not resentful when your friend doesn’t choose you to be on his team.
2. You tell the store clerk she has accidentally given you too much change.
3. You defend a classmate who is being teased.
4. When someone in a group starts to tell an unclean story, you leave.
5. You exercise self-control and refuse to fight.

Sharing Time Ideas

Make a large treasure chest and jewels. Discuss one jewel at a time, and help children to understand the meaning of those eternal truths. Add additional jewels that the children discover when they take turns reading from Sermon on the Mount.
Discuss the word beatitude. Use footnotes and references in Sermon on the Mount for scripture study with older children.
Have children string jewels on piece of yarn or narrow ribbon. For weekday activity, durable jewels could be made for necklaces using shrink-art plastic or Modge Podge on salt dough. Older children can prepare jewels for the younger children to string.
Additional resources: “The Savior’s Love,” Friend, April, 1982, page 24; “I Want to Live the Gospel,” Sing with Me, B-65.

1. Mount jewels and treasure chest on heavy paper.