Preface for Pastors and Parents
This children’s sermon on Matthew 7:21-29 can be used sometime when you are preaching or teaching on the Sermon on the Mount. The passage comes up as the lectionary Gospel only in years when Easter comes particularly late. In most trips through “Year A” it goes unread.
That’s too bad, since it provides Jesus’ summary comment on the previous three chapters.
The strong suit of the Sermon on the Mount is not organizational clarity. This passage, more than any other, sums up how Jesus wants us to deal with all these distinct bits of teaching.
As he wraps up the whole thing, there is something interesting about the way Matthew portrays his audience.
- At the beginning, Jesus left the crowd, went up on the mountain, and taught the disciples.
- But by then end it seems the crowd was listening in, since that’s who was astonished at his teaching.
Maybe there is wisdom for ministry in this. If we preach to the believers, helping them grow as disciples, the larger world, or part of it, will look in, overhear, find themselves drawn to respond.
But here in my children’s sermon on Matthew 7:21-29 I focus on the core of this particular passage. I have to reframe it a bit as an imagined conversation AFTER the sermon in order to get more of a story. You can let me know what you think about that!
A Children’s Sermon on Matthew 7:21-29
Good morning, kids! I’m so happy to see you. Thanks for coming up to hear the children’s sermon.
Our reading from the Gospel this morning isn’t really a story. It’s the end of a long sermon Jesus preached on a mountain one time. Jesus went on talking for three whole chapters!
I imagine that Jesus talked about all these things other times too. Today I want to imagine Jesus and Peter talking about some of the things in the sermon when they went for a walk together. Here’s how I picture it.
After the Sermon
When Jesus finished preaching his famous “Sermon on the Mount,” everybody stood up and stretched. Most of the people in the crowd started walking toward their homes.
Peter and Jesus walked all the way down the mountain, toward the lake.
“Wow, Lord,” Peter said, “That was a long sermon! It feels great to get up and move around again.”
“Yes, it does,” Jesus said, stretching his back. “How about we all go for a walk along the lakeshore?”
And so they walked along and talked about things.
“I’ve gotta hand it to you, Jesus,” Peter said. “You really are a great teacher. I could listen to you all day.”
“Oh, thanks, Peter.” Jesus said.
“I mean you tell great stories,” Peter said. “And when You talk about the Law of Moses its like I see it in a whole new way. It’s really interesting. No kidding.”
Listening or Doing?
“I’m glad you like my teaching,” Jesus said. “I’ve been wondering, though: How’s it going between you and your brother Andrew? Are You finding that you can do the things I’ve been teaching you about?”
Peter got a confused look on his face. “What do you mean by ‘do the things you’ve been teaching about’?”
“Well,” said Jesus, “I’ve told you a bunch of things that could change the way you and your brother act toward each other.”
“Oh, no, Jesus.” Peter said, shaking his head. “I just like to listen to you. That’s why I’m so glad to be your disciple. I get to hear you teach more often than other people. You’re always really interesting.”
“But Peter,” said Jesus, “I don’t teach just to entertain you. I’m trying to teach you how to live so you can be part of the Kingdom of God.”
Possible or Impossible?
“That’s so funny!” said Peter, laughing. “There’s no way I could actually do the stuff you teach. No, it’s way too hard. I mean, you said for me to forgive my brother, like, seven times!”
Jesus said, “Seventy times seven times, actually.”
“Okay, well ‘seven times’ was in there,” Peter said. “And that’s way too many times. No, when Andrew does something mean just I slug him.”
“Peter,” said Jesus, a sad look in his big brown eyes, “I think you forget some of the other things I taught you. Like when someone slaps you in the face—”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Peter. “You said to stick out my other cheek and let him slap that one too. Well, that’s just impossible. Nope. He slaps me, I slug him back.”
“But Andrew is your brother,” said Jesus. “If you don’t learn to love your brother how are you going to learn to love your enemies?”
“What?!?” said Peter, looking shocked. “Did you actually mean that one? No, that doesn’t even make sense. The reason they are my enemies is because I hate them. I totally thought you were joking about that.”
Belonging to Jesus
Jesus sat down on a rock and put his face in his hands.
“What’s the matter, Jesus?” Peter asked.
“Well,” said Jesus, “I just thought you understood.”
“Understood what?” asked Peter. “I thought you understood what it means to belong to me — to be my disciple.”
“Oh, I do!” said Peter. “I follow you around, and I listen to your teaching. It’s great. I even call you ‘Lord!”
“It isn’t enough to just call me ‘Lord,’” Jesus said. “I have to actually be your lord.”
“What’s the difference?” asked Peter.
“If I’m your Lord,” Jesus said, “Then you’ll do what I say. Peter, I’m trying to teach you what my father wants your life to look like. To really belong to me you have to do my father’s will.”
“But Lord,” said Peter, “I totally do God’s will. Remember when you sent us all out on that mission trip? I taught people about you, and I helped people — I even did some miracles! I mean, God healed people when I prayed for them. That’s doing God’s will!”
“Peter,” Jesus said sadly, “It isn’t all about doing big flashy things. It is about how you live every day — like the things I was talking about in my sermon.”
Two Houses
Just then, as they walked along the beach, they came across an old broken down building. There were boards and furniture all over the beach.
“Wow, what happened here?” asked Peter.
“There was a big storm,” said Jesus. “The wind and the rains knocked this beach house down. Looks like a total loss.”
“Yeah,” said Peter, “No wonder. The owners built their house right on the sand. There was nothing solid to hold it up when the storms came.”
Then Jesus’ eyes sparkled. “Look up there. See that house on the rock ledge overlooking the beach?”
Peter looked where Jesus was pointing. “Wow, that house is built on solid rock.” he said. “The storm didn’t damage it a bit.”
“Let me tell you something, Peter.” Jesus said. ”Every day, the way you live, it’s like you are building something. Your actions are building your life. Do you want to build your life on sand — and end up like this broken down house? Or do you want your life to last — like that house built on solid rock?”
Peter said “Well, I want to be like the house or solid rock, of course!”
“Well then,” Jesus said. “Don’t just listen to my words. Do what I’m teaching you to do. That’s building your life to last.”
Wondering
I wonder how Peter and Andrew got along after they learned from Jesus?
I wonder if you find it easy or hard to put Jesus’ teachings into practice?
I wonder how you can build your life on solid rock?
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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.
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