A Children’s Sermon on Luke 7:1-10

Preface for Pastors and Parents

This is my children’s sermon on Luke 7:1-10. The lectionary has it as the Gospel reading for “Proper 4(9),” which is one of those Sundays that doesn’t always happen. 

Oh sure, we have 52 Sundays each year, but the lectionary has some extras that sometimes get cut off when Easter is on the early side. This year, Proper 4(9) didn’t happen. 

It’s still a great text and you may be preaching it, or presenting it to kids, some other time completely apart from the lectionary. But sometime, when its year C again and Easter is on just the right date, you’ll have this at the ready.

There are, in my opinion, two important things to emphasize in this text. 

The second noteworthy thing here is that Jesus is embodying the kind of love he teaches. He said to love your enemies, to bless those who curse you, and so forth. 

Well this Centurion seems to have been a really nice guy, quite generous and loving toward the Jewish community around him. But still, he was a Centurion. He was part of the oppressive state, the Roman occupying force in Judea. 

I have to think that doing a miracle to heal a Roman officer would raise a few Jewish eyebrows.

Let me know how you think I’ve handled these issues, or other things you think are important, in this children’s sermon on Luke 7:1-10.

A Children’s Sermon on Luke 7:1-10

Good morning, kids! I’m so glad to see you this morning. It is great that you are here in worship, and I’m especially glad that you came up to hear the children’s sermon. 

I want to tell you a story about Jesus. I read it to the whole congregation, straight from the Bible, a few minutes ago, but here’s how I picture it happening.

An Urgent Message

Jesus and his friends were walking to a town called Capernaum (“Ca-PER-nay-oom”). Just as they got to the city a little group of people came running out to meet them. 

“Jesus!” they called, “Jesus! We need to talk to you! We need your help!” 

“Hello!” Jesus said. “Catch your breath. We have all the time we need. What’s your name?”

“I’m Joseph.” (Huff, puff) “This is Amos and Asher.” (Huff, puff) “We don’t have time to catch our breath!” (Huff, puff) “Our friend’s servant is dying! Can you come and heal him?”

“I’m so sorry to hear your friend’s servant is sick,” Jesus said, his big brown eyes all full of love. “Of course I’ll come and help. But why didn’t your friend come himself?” 

A Roman

“Well,” Asher said, “he was afraid you wouldn’t want to talk to him.” 

“Why’s that?” asked Jesus.

“He’s… Um… He’s not a Jew like you are,” Joseph said. “He knew we were Jews, so he asked us if we could come get you.”

“He’s a wonderful man,” said Asher. “He’s done so much for us.” 

“Yeah!” said Joseph. “He donated all the money to build our new synagogue!”

“Yeah,” said Amos. “It’s so nice! The light shines through the windows, and there’s so much room, and the seats are really—”

“Not now, Amos” said the Joseph. “We need Jesus to come quickly.”

Jesus said, “I’m sorry he thought I wouldn’t want to talk to him, just because he isn’t Jewish. Tell me about him.”

“He’s from Rome, actually,” said the Joseph. “He’s a soldier. An officer. A Centurion.”

Some of the disciples started to grumble when they heard that.

One disciple, a man named Simon, who everybody called “the Zealot,” spoke up. “Jesus, you shouldn’t go. You shouldn’t help a Roman soldier. The Romans have been occupying our country for years! they are mean to us! They make us pay taxes to Caesar! We need to get rid of the Romans.” 

“But he’s a good Roman,” said Joseph. “If you know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” said Asher. “He’s not like most Romans.” 

“That’s right,” said Amos. “One time he actually—”

“Not now, Amos,” said Joseph. “We need to get there quickly.”

“Look,” said Jesus, “I’m happy to help him. It doesn’t matter to me what country he’s from. He needs help. Take me to his house.”

On the Way

They rushed off together. They were still a block or so away when another man came running up. He had a little scroll in his hand.

“Amos! Joseph! Asher!” said the man, “I’m so glad I found you! The Centurion sent me with a message for Jesus. Did you find him?”

“I’m Jesus,” said Jesus. “What’s the message?” 

The newcomer unrolled his scroll and held it out in front of him. He cleared his throat and started to read in a very official voice: 

To Jesus, the holy teacher and worker of miracles, greetings. The man before you bears my message of gratitude for your willingness to come and heal my beloved servant. I am sure you will be willing to come because I have heard of your great compassion. But I must tell you not to come. You should not enter my house. You are holy and I am sinful. I am not worthy to have you in my house. But I am a soldier. I am an officer. I know what it means to give orders. If you simply give the order I know my servant will be healed.

Then the man rolled the scroll back up.

Faith

“Wow!” said Jesus. “Your Centurion friend really has faith! I’ve never met anyone with so much faith before. Okay! I give the order. Tell the man his servant will be healed.” 

And when the friends got back to the Centurion’s house, the servant was all healthy again, just as Jesus said.

Wondering

I wonder what the Centurion thought when he found his servant was well again?

I wonder how Jesus’ disciples felt when they saw that Jesus really cared about someone they didn’t like?

I wonder if it’s harder to love people who are different, or to believe Jesus can do miracles?

++++++++++++

You are, of course, free to use this children’s sermon, or adapt it as you find most useful. But, if you use it, please do one (or more!) of the following.

• You can let me know that you are using it, either in the comments below, or using the contact form above.
• You can put a little notice in your church bulletin that your children’s sermon is adapted from one published on GaryNealHansen.com.
• You can support my work over on Patreon. (Just $1 per month brings my children’s sermons straight to your inbox about two minutes after they go live. And every little bit keeps me going…)