The Good Samaritan, by Dan Burr

April 22–28

Matthew 18; Luke 10

“What Shall I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?”

What truths in Matthew 18 and Luke 10 do the children need to learn? Listen for promptings from the Holy Ghost as you read these chapters. Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families can help you understand the doctrine, and this outline can give you ideas for how to teach these truths.

Record Your Impressions

Invite Sharing

Ask the children to share how they celebrated Jesus Christ’s Atonement for Easter.

Teach the Doctrine

Younger Children

Matthew 18:21–35

I should always forgive others.

As you read Matthew 18:21–35, consider your own experiences with forgiveness and what the children need to know about this principle.

Possible Activities

• Read Matthew 18:21, and invite the children to say “I forgive you” seven times. Ask, “Is forgiving seven times enough?” Read verse 22 and explain that Jesus wants us to choose to forgive always.

• Tell the parable of the unmerciful servant (see Matthew 18:23–35). If necessary, explain that when someone does something unkind to us, we will probably feel angry or sad at first. But forgiveness means we can feel peace again. (You may feel prompted to help the children understand that if someone is hurting them, they should tell their parents or another trusted adult.)

• Write I forgive you on the board, and tell the children that these words can help turn sad moments into happy ones. Draw a sad face on the board, and share some examples of children forgiving one another. After each example, invite a child to change the sad face to a happy one.

• Sing with the children “Help Me, Dear Father,” Children’s Songbook, 99. Ask them to stand up when they hear the word help. Share your testimony that Heavenly Father will help us forgive others.

Luke 10:25–37

Jesus taught me to see all people as my neighbors and love them.

The parable of the good Samaritan is a memorable story that can show children who our neighbors are. Think of ways you can inspire the children to “go, and do … likewise” (Luke 10:37).

Possible Activities

• Ask each child, “Who is your neighbor?” Explain that Jesus taught that anyone who needs our help is also our neighbor, even if he or she doesn’t live nearby, and we should treat that person with love.

• Read Luke 10:25–37 as the children act out the parable of the good Samaritan, taking turns playing different roles. After each performance, ask them to share how they can be like the good Samaritan.

• Write a few examples of situations where someone would need help, and hide the papers around the room. Ask the children to find the papers and explain how they could show kindness to the person in that situation.

• Sing with the children “Jesus Said Love Everyone” and “Kindness Begins with Me,” Children’s Songbook, 61, 145. Divide the children into pairs, and invite each pair to think of a few ways they can show love or kindness to others. Ask each pair to share their thoughts with the class.

• Invite the children to write down ways they can show love for others on small slips of paper. Make a paper chain from these slips and invite the children to hang the paper chain in their home, where it can remind them to be kind.

Teach the Doctrine

Older Children

Matthew 18:21–35

Heavenly Father will forgive me as I forgive others.

As children get older, forgiving may get harder. The parable of the unmerciful servant can be a memorable way to teach them that Heavenly Father wants us to forgive everyone.

Possible Activities

• Read Matthew 18:23–35 with the children; explain that the lord or king represents Heavenly Father, the servant represents us, and the fellow servant represents those who offend us. Ask the children, “When have you found it difficult to forgive someone? How did you let go of those hurt feelings? When have you needed to be forgiven for a wrong choice?”

• Show the video “Forgive Every One Their Trespasses: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant” (LDS.org) to help the children visualize this parable.

• Write on the board the multiplication problem 70 × 7, and help the children solve it. Ask someone to read Matthew 18:21–22, and explain that Jesus used this number to teach us that we should always forgive.

• Give everyone a piece of paper, and invite the children to draw a picture of a child being unkind to another child. Then ask them to trade their papers with their neighbor and draw on the back of the new paper a way they can show forgiveness to others.

• Ask the children to help you think of a few situations where someone might need to forgive another person. Invite the children to act out how they would show forgiveness in those situations.

• Sing with the children “Help Me, Dear Father,” Children’s Songbook, 99. Help the children understand each line of the song and what it teaches us about forgiving others.

Luke 10:30–37

I can love and serve others, especially those in need.

Ponder times in your own life when someone has been “a good Samaritan” to you. How can you inspire children to be “good Samaritans” to others?

Possible Activities

• Assign each child part of the parable of the good Samaritan to draw. Invite them to put their pictures in order and use them to tell the story.

• Explain to the children that the Jews disliked the Samaritans so much that when they traveled from Jerusalem to Galilee, they would go around Samaria to avoid interacting with any Samaritans (see Bible Maps, no. 1, “Physical Map of the Holy Land”). Why would Jesus use a Samaritan as an example of kindness in this parable? What does this story teach us about helping others in need? (See also Mosiah 4:16–22.)

• Ask the children to share an experience when someone was like the good Samaritan toward them.

• Challenge the children to set a goal to be like the good Samaritan this week. For example, do they know someone who is sick or lonely? or someone who does not attend church regularly? Ask the children how they could help that person.

Encourage Learning at Home

Invite the children to share with their family their goal to be like the good Samaritan this week.

Improving Our Teaching

Teach children to record impressions. If children can learn the habit of recording impressions, it will help them recognize and follow the Spirit. Children can record impressions by marking scriptures, drawing pictures, or making simple journal entries.